For those of you who don’t know what “Grand Theft Auto” is, you should really catch up, because GTA is huge. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the latest release, and has gone on to selling over 150 Million copies worldwide as of August 2021. GTA5 was originally released in 2013 for multiple consoles. However, Rockstar Games is celebrating 20 years of GTA with the original trilogy that kickstarted the franchise into overdrive. The first Grand Theft Auto games were top-down, open world cops and robbers game. It was a glitch that inspired the Grand Theft Auto that exists today. It only sold a few million copies at first, until Grand Theft Auto 3 was released for PlayStation 2 at the the height, the fever pitch of PS2. You thought it was crazy when PlayStation 5 is selling out every single restock? Try PlayStation 2, while GTA3 was released. It was a console that sold out on every restock, with lines of people at retailers. Grand Theft Auto 3 revolutionized multiple things, not just open world, but put gaming into the mainstream.
The trilogy was rumored for a while now. It was sort-of confirmed when listings of the trilogy was revealed. Now it’s official: Rockstar Games released a teaser trailer alongside the tease blog post on October 8, 2021…
Later this month marks a very special anniversary for Rockstar Games: 20 years since the original release of Grand Theft Auto III — the game that set players loose in the sprawling, three-dimensional metropolis of Liberty City with a new and unprecedented sense of freedom and immersion. In addition to carving a new path for the open world genre, Grand Theft Auto III established Grand Theft Auto as a cultural phenomenon, alongside its two subsequent — and equally legendary — entries in the series, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the Grand Theft Auto fans who have supported the games over the past two decades. Your love and appreciation for these games has helped push the Grand Theft Auto series forward with every iteration.
In honor of the upcoming anniversary, today we are excited to announce that all three games will be coming to current generation platforms later this year in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and the Rockstar Games Launcher on PC. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will feature across-the-board upgrades including graphical improvements and modern gameplay enhancements for all three titles, while still maintaining the classic look and feel of the originals. We’re extremely excited to share more about these groundbreaking titles in the coming weeks — stay tuned!
To prepare for launch, we will begin removing existing versions of the classic titles from digital retailers next week. For more information, please visit Rockstar Games Support. In addition, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will be coming to iOS and Android in the first half of 2022.
Plus, as part of the 20th anniversary celebration for GTAIII, look for a cavalcade of special gear to collect in Grand Theft Auto Online throughout upcoming events this Fall, including commemorative clothing and liveries.
We’ll have more details on how to acquire these in the weeks ahead as part of our ongoing events in GTA Online. This month’s GTA Online events will also have some special surprises — including the upcoming possibility of some unusual activity occurring in and around Southern San Andreas…
We are also continuing to improve and evolve GTA Online. As you may have noticed, we recently began cycling select Adversary Modes and Player Jobs in and out of the game. GTA Online offers a hugely diverse array of gameplay, hosting over 1,000 Rockstar-created Jobs and tens of millions more player-created Jobs since launch. By beginning to cycle the Rockstar-created Jobs in and out of the game over time, not only will we be freeing up space for new missions and modes in the future, but we are also improving the game’s matchmaking by focusing the community on a more streamlined list of Jobs from week-to-week.
This will also allow us to bring back Jobs at various times for special or seasonal events and help reduce some of the lesser-liked Jobs, as well as helping surface some of our slept-on classics or the community’s quirkier favorites alongside special bonuses, like this past week’s return of Offense Defense, Sumo, and more.
We are also looking at ways to improve the GTA Online experience for new and returning players in the upcoming release of GTA Online for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S next March – stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for details on this and more information about the expanded and enhanced releases of GTAV and GTA Online in the months to come.
And later this year, get ready to go on an exciting new adventure in GTA Online as some well-known contacts and familiar friends need your help in expanding their “legit business” — with many more surprises soon to be revealed!
Here is the accompanying teaser trailer for GTA Trilogy – The Definitive Edition…
Then, shortly thereafter on October 22nd, Rockstar Games took to their Newswire Blog to announce the new trilogy…
Three iconic cities, three epic stories, one definitive collection. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition includes the genre-defining Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas together — each one enhanced for a new generation and available together for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via the Rockstar Games Launcher.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will be available digitally on November 11 through the PlayStation Store, the Microsoft Store on Xbox, Nintendo eShop, and the Rockstar Games Launcher, with a physical release for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 on December 7.
Experience the games that started it all — introducing unprecedented freedom and immersion through three living, breathing worlds filled with hilarious action, rich, cinematic storytelling, classic characters, and unforgettable music.
Bringing the classic worlds of Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas to modern platforms, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition debuts new GTAV-inspired modern controls, plus across-the-board visual enhancements such as resolution upgrades and improved visual fidelity across the world, and much more to faithfully tune and improve upon all three games, while also maintaining their distinct original aesthetic.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition introduces wide-ranging modern control upgrades, including improvements to targeting and lock-on aiming, updated Weapon and Radio Station Wheels, updated Mini-Maps with enhanced navigation allowing players to set waypoints to destinations, updated Achievements, Trophies, and more. The Nintendo Switch version also features Switch-specific controls including Gyro aiming, as well as touch screen camera zooming, pans, and menu selections, while the PC version includes support for NVIDIA DLSS and additional new Accomplishments via the Rockstar Games Social Club.
Additional enhancements across all three titles include a completely rebuilt lighting system; improved shadows, weather, and reflections; upgraded character and vehicle models; along with new higher resolution textures across buildings, weapons, roads, interiors, and more. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition also features a range of environmental upgrades including all new foliage, smoother surfaces, and increased draw distances to provide a new level of depth and clarity throughout the world.
Originally developed by Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has been adapted to modern platforms by Grove Street Games using Unreal Engine to make these classics more vibrant and more immersive than ever, celebrating the legacy of the series that redefined interactive entertainment and helped propel video games to the center of culture. Stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for more and check out the brand new site for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.
Players will also be able to experience Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition with Xbox Game Pass starting November 11.
Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Edition will be available on PlayStation Now starting December 7.
Plus, expect to see more fun and special surprises celebrating the 20th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III in GTA Online — like this week’s bonus Baseball Bat Tee commemorating GTAIII’s most memorable melee weapon.
Accompanying the official announcement, Rockstar released a comparison video to show how much the Trilogy adds value to the Definitive Edition…
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy arrives for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S & X, Nintendo Switch, and PC starting November 11, 2021.
