GTA 4 Remaster Urged by Ex-Rockstar: Niko Best Protagonist

A former Rockstar veteran has weighed in on recent rumors suggesting a re-release of Grand Theft Auto IV for the latest generation of consoles, expressing a strong opinion that the game should be remastered.

The speculation about a GTA IV re-release originated from Tez2, a well-known figure within the GTA community for leaking Rockstar information. Tez2 hinted at a potential GTA IV port for modern systems this year, suggesting this could be related to Rockstar's recent decision to shut down a GTA V Liberty City mod. However, it's important to clarify that Rockstar has not officially announced any plans to re-release GTA IV. Such a move would be surprising, especially considering the studio's current focus on GTA VI.

Every Celebrity in GTA 4

View 26 ImagesObbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director who was part of the company from 1995 to 2009 and contributed to GTA IV, addressed the rumors on social media. Although he was unaware of the rumors, he firmly believes that GTA IV deserves a remaster.

"It's a great game and there have been several successful remasters recently," Vermeij noted, possibly alluding to the well-received The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

In further social media posts, Vermeij expressed his desire to see the game updated, praising Niko Bellic as "still the best protagonist in any GTA game."

Regarding the potential mechanics of a remaster, Vermeij speculated that Rockstar might port GTA IV to the latest version of the Rage engine, the engine used to develop their games.

Rockstar could potentially task an external studio with the port, similar to what was done with Red Dead Redemption. However, launching a GTA IV re-release in 2025, the same year as GTA VI's projected release, seems unlikely as it might distract from the main event.

On the topic of Liberty City, some GTA fans speculate that the iconic location, inspired by New York City and featured in GTA IV and GTA: Chinatown Wars, could appear in GTA VI either at launch or as post-launch DLC. GTA VI is set in Leonida, a fictional state based on Florida, which includes Vice City, Rockstar's version of Miami.

While we await further news, we have plenty of content on GTA VI, including detailed discoveries, 70 new screenshots, and expert analysis on how GTA VI will perform on the PS5 Pro.