Why GTA 4 Remastered might never become a reality

A GTA 4 remastered and enhanced version has been one of the most demanded things by the Grand Theft Auto player base for years. However, despite being nearly 16 years old, Rockstar Games shows no sign of improving the popular title for modern consoles and gamers. The American gaming studio is notorious for having canceled various high-demand projects in the past. Since there are no solid details about the 2008 title’s remaster, it might have been scrapped as well.

This article discusses why Rockstar Games may never release a GTA 4 remastered version for modern gaming platforms.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer's opinions.

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Why doesn’t Rockstar Games release a GTA 4 remastered version?

The GTA 4 remastered version would be a heavy project for Rockstar Games as it is a big game with many fascinating details. It was Rockstar’s first entry to the HD Universe which is still running with other newer titles. As of now, the gaming studio is focused on Grand Theft Auto 6. Therefore, expecting a remaster of the 2008 title anytime soon is a pipe dream.

Even after the release of the upcoming game, we cannot be certain that Rockstar Games will work on GTA 4 remastered version. After the release of Grand Theft Auto 5, the studio shifted all its focus towards its multiplayer version, and the same can be expected after Grand Theft Auto 6’s release as well.

Rockstar Games released the Grand Theft Auto remastered Trilogy in 2021, but it wasn’t received well by the player base. The game is still criticized by many players on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. It is one of the few projects from the studio that did not perform well financially. Because of this, releasing a GTA 4 remaster would be a gamble, which the studio is seemingly avoiding.

Players should also note that the PC version of Grand Theft Auto 4 is still broken even after so many years. Although not unplayable, it lacks many fascinating things GTA 4 has to offer on other platforms (mostly graphics-related).

However, if you have played ‘The Complete Edition,’ which includes The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, then you may have noticed some minor improvements from the original version. The Ballad of Gay Tony has the best visuals among the three and also includes new content. It is the closest to a remaster that you can currently enjoy from the 2008 title.

The above factors significantly influence Rockstar Games’s strategy with Grand Theft Auto 4. Although the title gets occasional bug-fixing updates, a remastered version is out of the question until the official reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6.