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

A former Rockstar veteran, Obbe Vermeij, who worked at the company from 1995 to 2009, has weighed in on the swirling rumors of a potential Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA 4) re-release for the latest generation of consoles. Vermeij, who contributed to the development of GTA 4, expressed his support for the idea, stating that the game "should be remastered." He highlighted the game's quality and noted the success of recent remasters, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, suggesting that GTA 4 could benefit from a similar treatment. Vermeij also praised the game's protagonist, Niko Bellic, calling him "the best protagonist in any GTA game."

The rumor of 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 at a possible port of GTA 4 for modern systems this year, suggesting that this project might be linked to Rockstar's recent decision to shut down a GTA 5 Liberty City mod. However, it's crucial to emphasize that Rockstar has not officially announced any plans for a GTA 4 re-release. Given Rockstar's current focus on Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6), a GTA 4 remaster would be unexpected.

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Vermeij speculated on how such a remaster might be executed, suggesting that Rockstar could port GTA 4 to the latest version of their proprietary Rage engine. Despite his enthusiasm, it remains important to note that Rockstar has not given any indication of plans to remaster GTA 4. The development of GTA 6 is a monumental task, and undertaking a GTA 4 remaster concurrently might be beyond Rockstar's current scope, even with their extensive resources.

Rockstar could potentially outsource the project to an external studio, as they did with the Red Dead Redemption port. However, the timing of a GTA 4 re-release in 2025 seems unlikely, especially considering GTA 6's planned fall 2025 release window. Releasing a GTA 4 remaster alongside GTA 6 could split the audience's attention away from the highly anticipated new title.

Some fans speculate that Liberty City, the setting of GTA 4 and GTA: Chinatown Wars, might make an appearance in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch DLC. Liberty City is Rockstar's fictional representation of New York City, while GTA 6 is set in Leonida, a fictional state inspired by Florida, 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 discoveries, 70 brand new screenshots, and expert analysis on how GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro.