It Sounds Like The GTA Remastered Trilogy Has Already Been Delayed

While some are on the case of Rockstar Games for the lengthy wait between Grand Theft Auto games, it turns out the open-world giant hasn't just been busy tinkering away on the long-rumoured GTA 6. Considering the first GTA came out in 1997, some of the early games are decades old and crying out for a remastering.

GTA really found its stride when it moved from its top-down 2D view into the 3D universe of GTA III. With this in mind, rumours of a GTA Remastered trilogy that includes legacy titles of 2001's GTA III, 2002's GTA Vice City, and 2004's GTA: San Andreas quickly picked up steam. Unfortunately, just as quick as the trilogy was announced, it already looks like it's been delayed.

Has the GTA Remastered trilogy been delayed?

When we first reported on the Remastered Trilogy, sources told Kotaku that we could expect it later this year. Ironically, those close to the project claimed the long-awaited remasterings were originally set to come alongside the Expanded & Enhanced port of GTA V, but were then changed to early 2021. COVID-19 obviously affected the release schedule, however, we were presumably locked in for the second half of 2021.

According to noted leaker Tom Henderson, the GTA Remastered Trilogy won't be hitting shelves until next year. Henderson has a proven track record with the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield, and claims he's kept quiet on the GTA front because he doesn't want to raise our hopes. 

A stoic Henderson warned the “I don't believe the launch time frame is correct”, which suggests we won't be playing this holiday season. He went on to give a vague release of some time in 2022. It's not exactly great news for fans of the franchise, but it's also important to remember that Rockstar hasn't even given the GTA Remastered Trilogy the official nod yet.

When will we know more about the GTA Remastered Trilogy?

Until Take-Two Interactive confirms a Remastered Trilogy, even Henderson's musings need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Then again, there's been a recent flurry of activity on this front. Only recently, Take-Two went on the offensive and swung its scythe at a tonne of GTA mods that remastered older games. It means speculation was rife that devs were working on some official remasters.

The studio reported to be working on the GTA Remastered Trilogy is Rockstar Dundee, which is no stranger to bringing together beloved games thanks to its previous work on Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Henderson is also something of a GTA aficionado these days, with him suggesting GTA 6 will keep a modern setting and could release as late as 2025. Importantly, there's a suggestion that GTA III's 20th anniversary in October could be the time for an announcement. 

It remains to be seen whether Henderson is on the money with this one, but with the GTA Remastered Trilogy tipped to cover both current and next-gen consoles - as well as arriving on the Nintendo Switch for the first time ever - it's sure to add to Rockstar's already astronomical takings. It's not quite GTA 6, but at least a GTA Remastered Trilogy would prove the developer has been beavering away behind the scenes instead of sitting on piles of money.

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