A veteran Rockstar employee has addressed recent speculation regarding a next-gen re-release of Grand Theft Auto IV, suggesting that a full remaster would be the ideal approach.
The rumor mill started spinning after Tez2, a prominent GTA leaker, posted about the possibility of a modern port launching this year. This potential release was also cited as a reason behind Rockstar’s recent takedown of a popular GTA 5 Liberty City modification.
However, it is important to note that Rockstar has not officially confirmed any plans for a GTA IV re-release. Given the studio's primary focus on Grand Theft Auto VI, such an announcement would likely come as a significant surprise.
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Obbe Vermeij, the former technical director at Rockstar Games who worked there between 1995 and 2009, shared his thoughts on the GTA IV rumors via social media. Although he was unaware of the specific claims, he firmly stated that the title should receive a remaster.
“It's a great game and there have been a number of successful remasters recently,” he noted, possibly referencing the well-received The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
“I would like to see it updated,” Vermeij added in another post, praising Niko Bellic as “the best protagonist in any GTA game I think.”
Regarding the technical execution of such a project, Vermeij suggested that Rockstar could potentially port GTA IV to the latest version of their proprietary Rage engine.
Once again, Rockstar has given no official sign that a GTA IV remaster is in development. Considering the massive scale of Grand Theft Auto VI, taking on a complete overhaul or remake for an older title might stretch even their vast resources too thin.Rockstar could outsource the port to an external developer, similar to what they did with Red Dead Redemption. However, releasing GTA IV in 2025 seems ill-timed given the anticipated fall release window for GTA VI. Unless delayed, it is unlikely Rockstar would market both a remaster and their flagship title simultaneously, which could split player attention away from the main event.
Turning back to Liberty City, some fans speculate that this iconic setting might appear in Grand Theft Auto VI either at launch or as part of post-launch DLC.
Liberty City serves as the GTA universe's version of New York City, featuring prominently in 2008’s GTA IV and its 2009 spin-off, GTA: Chinatown Wars. In contrast, GTA VI is set in the fictional state of Leonida (based on Florida), which includes Vice City, a stand-in for Miami.
While we await further details, we have compiled extensive coverage on Grand Theft Auto VI, including all known information gathered so far, a collection of 70 new screenshots, and expert analysis on how GTA VI will perform on the PS5 Pro.
