GTA remaster trilogy finally confirmed, releasing this year

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

The GTA Remastered Trilogy - officially named Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition - has been confirmed.

After months of rumors, Rockstar announced the trilogy, which features remasters of GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas, earlier today. According to a press release, the remasters of all three titles will feature "graphical improvements and modern gameplay enhancements [...] while still maintaining the classic look and feel of the originals." Quite what those enhancements will look like remains to be seen, but Rockstar says it'll share more information "in the coming weeks."

However, if you want to appreciate the original versions of the games, you'd better move quick. Ahead of launch, existing versions of the game will be removed from digital storefronts next week.

Rumors surrounding the trilogy surfaced as early as February 2021, but gathered steam after a report in August suggested that the collection would arrive some time this autumn. While Rockstar has stayed quiet until now, evidence has been mounting in recent days, with a listing appearing on the Korean ratings board and listings for the game themselves showing up on the developer's own launcher.

Rockstar is yet to announce a release date for the trilogy, but did confirm that the game would release "later this year" on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC via the Rockstar Launcher, with mobile versions following in the first half of 2022. It also announced that anniversary content will be making its way to GTA Online with "events and surprises coming this fall."

Looking to the past? Here are the best retro consoles that you can play your long-forgotten faves on.

Ali Jones
News Editor

I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.

Read more
Vice City
Rockstar literally just took down a Liberty City GTA 5 mod, but that's not stopping these modders porting Vice City into GTA 4 - and they might just get away with it
Vice City
Months after porting GTA 3 to Dreamcast, the same devs are repeating the trick with Vice City, and they already have rough progress to show
GTA 6: A man and a woman sitting on a car in the poster for Grand Theft Auto 6.
GTA 6: Everything we know so far
GTA 3 Mobile screenshot showing claude running away from police near a casino
The fan-made Dreamcast version of GTA 3 is looking way better in the latest look, introducing tech that "would’ve previously been a slideshow"
GTA 5
GTA 5 is giving PC players a free upgrade that brings it up to par with the console versions and adds some PC-exclusive features
GTA 4
Veteran GTA dev says Rockstar should make a GTA 4 remaster, but "it would be better" if it was a "quality remaster" this time
Latest in Action
Assassin's Creed Shadows review gameplay showing Yasuke overlooking the sea and lush green scenery
Assassin's Creed Shadows has already "surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey" with 2 million players and counting
God of War 3
God of War PSP's seamless loading was only possible because a Jak & Daxter game was also running in the background
MindsEye
GTA veteran's new open-world game will belong to everyone – almost like a wild mix of Roblox and Minecraft servers: "It won't just be ours"
Bill getting teary-eyed in The Last of Us
A potential The Last of Us season 1 plot hole has sparked a lot of debate among the fans
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe "justice must be served" or "killing them isn't justice" Yaya and Mistumune choice
Should you side with Mitsumune or Yaya in Assassin's Creed Shadows?
Assassin's Creed Shadows money naoe and merchant
How to get money in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Latest in News
First-person screenshot from ASYLUM, showing the protagonist's hand holding up a notebook while walking through a dark corridor.
After 15 years and a $120,000 Kickstarter push, this cult horror dev has finally released a successor to their 2006 breakout game
screenshot from Rogue Light Deck Builder showing a claymation figure sitting behind a desk.
With 97% positive reviews on Steam, Rogue Light Deck Builder is a hilarious $3 parody game that takes its name very literally
Lady Dimitrescu and Austin Abrams
The new Resident Evil movie may have found a lead in a Euphoria star
Leatherface and Glen Powell
Glenn Powell could be taking a swing at a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Xenomorph in Alien: Earth
New Alien: Earth clip shows the last of another expendable crew
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance season 2
There might have been another reason for Mark's decision in the Severance season 2 finale