Rockstar Buys Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition Developer, Renames It Rockstar Australia

Rockstar Acquires Video Games Deluxe, Rebrands as Rockstar Australia

Rockstar Games has acquired Video Games Deluxe, the developer behind the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition upgrades, and rebranded it as Rockstar Australia. Video Games Deluxe boasts a history of collaboration with Rockstar, contributing to the 2017 re-releases of L.A. Noire and its VR counterpart, as well as recent enhancements to the GTA Trilogy for various platforms including iOS, Android, Netflix, and modern consoles.

This acquisition differentiates Rockstar from Grove Street Games, the original developer of the poorly-received 2021 GTA Trilogy release. Grove Street Games faced criticism for the game's initial quality and the subsequent removal of its team from the credits following Video Games Deluxe's substantial update.

"After a long and successful partnership, we're thrilled to welcome Video Games Deluxe to the Rockstar family as Rockstar Australia," stated Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar Games Head of Publishing.

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Video Games Deluxe was founded by Brendan McNamara, also the founder of Team Bondi, the studio behind L.A. Noire. McNamara has maintained a relatively low profile since allegations of poor working conditions at Team Bondi surfaced in 2011.

"It's been an honor collaborating with Rockstar Games over the past decade," McNamara commented on the acquisition. "We're excited to join Rockstar Games and continue creating exceptional games."

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The formation of Rockstar Australia precedes the anticipated Fall 2025 release of Grand Theft Auto 6. Recent discussions have addressed the staggered release strategy for GTA 6, with a former Rockstar developer offering context and urging PC gamers to remain patient. Further details regarding GTA 6 and the future of GTA Online are also available.