Ex-Rockstar Developer Urges GTA 4 Remaster

A former Rockstar veteran has addressed recent rumors about a potential GTA 4 re-release for current-gen consoles, stating the classic title deserves a full remaster.

The speculation originated with Tez2, a well-known figure in the GTA community for leaking Rockstar information. Tez2 suggested a modern port of GTA 4 could arrive this year, and its development was partly why Rockstar recently shut down a GTA 5 Liberty City mod.

However, it's important to note that Rockstar has given no official signal of plans to re-release GTA 4. Given the studio's intense focus on GTA 6, such a project would be a significant surprise.

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Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director who worked at the company from 1995 to 2009, was asked about the GTA 4 rumors on social media. While unaware of the speculation, he agreed that GTA 4—a project he contributed to—"should be remastered."

"It's a great game and there have been a number of successful remasters recently," he added, possibly alluding to titles like the popular The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

"I would like to see it updated," Vermeij continued in a follow-up post. "Niko is still the best protagonist in any GTA game, in my opinion."

Regarding how a potential remaster might be achieved, Vermeij speculated Rockstar could port GTA 4 to the latest iteration of its proprietary RAGE engine.

Again, it's crucial to emphasize that Rockstar has not hinted at any plans to remaster GTA 4. We must consider the massive undertaking that is GTA 6; tackling a GTA 4 remaster or remake concurrently might stretch even Rockstar's considerable resources.

Rockstar could assign the port to an external studio, as it did with Red Dead Redemption, but the timing of a 2025 GTA 4 re-release seems odd given GTA 6's initial Fall 2025 launch window. If GTA 6 stays on schedule, it's unlikely Rockstar would market a GTA 4 remaster simultaneously and risk diverting attention from its flagship release.

Shifting focus back to Liberty City, some fans believe the iconic location could appear in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch DLC.

Liberty City is the series' fictionalized version of New York City, serving as the setting for 2008's GTA 4 and the 2009 spin-off GTA: Chinatown Wars. GTA 6 is set in the fictional state of Leonida (based on Florida), which includes Vice City, the series' take on Miami.

While we await further news, explore our extensive GTA 6 coverage, including a compilation of all known details, a showcase of 70 brand-new screenshots, and expert analysis on how GTA 6 will perform on PS5 Pro.