Two of the most popular game franchises ever might have just taken a severe hit. According to a gaming industry insider, developer Rockstar Games has supposedly canceled plans for a remake of GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption. Both of these titles were hot candidates for a remake given their age and Rockstar’s recent willingness to remaster older titles. However, it might be because of the decision to remaster the original GTA Trilogy that they’ve decided to put a hold on any further remakes.
The GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition was a remake of three previous GTA titles, III, San Andreas, and Vice City. Those titles arrived on current-gen platforms and PC late last year to mixed reviews from fans and critics. While the maps and characters were a joy to see again, the bugs and graphics of the remakes were too much for most fans to have a decent experience.
Recently, insider Tez2 stated that Rockstar was putting a hold on any additional remakes. These remakes consisted of the original Red Dead Redemption and GTA IV, two beloved games within Rockstar’s universe. According to Tez2, the decision to shelve these remakes was in direct response to the disaster of the GTA Trilogy. Tez2 clarified in a tweet that Rockstar hadn’t actually started developing these remakes; both were simply in the “ideas phase.”
Remasters of IV & RDR1 weren't in production, simply in the ideas phase and remained there for years.
Rockstar's plan was to start with the Trilogy and follow up with IV & RDR1.
The decision to greenlight more depended on the initial reception of the Trilogy.
Kotaku last year: https://t.co/t80Ei4fNGZ pic.twitter.com/Hr0aDdXlbs
— Tez2 (@TezFunz2) July 4, 2022
The insider also says that if the remasters of the GTA Trilogy were received well, then Rockstar might have gone forward with the development of GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption remakes. However, all of this is a leak from a source, so fans should still take the information with a grain of salt. Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two, recently published their earnings report and stated that they expect to increase revenue due to new releases in 2023, 2024, and 2025. While GTA 6 is certainly slated for one of those yearly releases, it’s also possible a Rockstar remake is still in the works as well. However, as of right now, it seems grim for fans who were hoping to return to the old west or Liberty City with improved graphics.
