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

A former Rockstar veteran, Obbe Vermeij, has weighed in on the swirling rumors about a potential re-release of Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA 4) for the latest generation of consoles, suggesting that the game should be remastered. Vermeij, who served as a technical director at Rockstar from 1995 to 2009 and worked on GTA 4, shared his thoughts on social media after being asked about the rumors.

The speculation about a GTA 4 re-release originated from a post by Tez2, a well-known figure in the GTA community for leaking Rockstar information. Tez2 hinted that a modern port of GTA 4 might be released this year, and this could be linked to Rockstar's recent decision to shut down a GTA 5 Liberty City Mod. However, it's crucial to note that Rockstar has not officially announced any plans to re-release GTA 4, and such a move would be surprising given their current focus on Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6).

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Vermeij, despite not being aware of the rumors, expressed his belief that GTA 4 deserves a remaster, citing its quality and the success of recent remasters like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. He praised the game's protagonist, Niko Bellic, as the best in any GTA title and suggested that a remaster could involve porting GTA 4 to the latest version of Rockstar's Rage engine.

It's important to reiterate that Rockstar has not hinted at any plans for a GTA 4 remaster. The studio's primary focus remains on the monumental task of developing GTA 6, set for a fall 2025 release. Undertaking a GTA 4 remaster alongside this would be a significant challenge, even for a company with Rockstar's resources. An alternative could be outsourcing the project to an external studio, as was done with the Red Dead Redemption port, but the timing of a 2025 GTA 4 re-release seems off, especially with GTA 6's launch on the horizon.

Some fans speculate that Liberty City, the setting of GTA 4 and inspired by New York City, might appear in GTA 6 either at launch or as post-launch DLC. GTA 6 is set in the fictional state of Leonida, which includes Vice City, Rockstar's version of Miami.

As we await further news, there's plenty more to explore about GTA 6, including detailed insights, 70 new screenshots, and expert analysis on how the game will perform on the PS5 Pro.