"GTA 4 Remaster Urged by Ex-Rockstar: 'Niko Best Protagonist'"

A former Rockstar veteran has weighed in on the swirling rumors that a re-release of *Grand Theft Auto IV* for the latest generation of consoles might be on the horizon, suggesting that the game is ripe for a remaster. The buzz about a potential *GTA IV* re-release started with a post from Tez2, a well-known figure in the GTA community for sharing insider information. Tez2 hinted that a modern port of *GTA IV* could be released this year, and this project might be why Rockstar recently shut down a *GTA V* Liberty City Mod.

However, it’s important to note that Rockstar has not officially announced any plans to remaster or re-release *GTA IV*. Given the studio's heavy focus on the development of *GTA VI*, the idea of a *GTA IV* re-release would be a significant surprise.

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Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director who was part of the company from 1995 to 2009 and worked on *GTA IV*, responded to these rumors on social media. Although he hadn't heard about the rumors, Vermeij expressed that *GTA IV* "should be remastered," highlighting the game's quality and the success of recent remasters like *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered*. He praised Niko Bellic, *GTA IV*'s protagonist, as the best in the series and suggested that a remaster could involve porting the game to the latest version of Rockstar's Rage engine.

It's crucial to reiterate that Rockstar has given no indication of plans to remaster *GTA IV*. Considering the monumental task of developing *GTA VI*, undertaking a *GTA IV* remaster or remake simultaneously might stretch even Rockstar's capabilities. They could potentially task an external studio with the port, similar to what they did with *Red Dead Redemption*, but launching a *GTA IV* re-release in 2025, close to *GTA VI*'s planned fall release, seems unlikely as it could distract from the main event.

Turning the focus back to Liberty City, some *GTA* fans speculate that this iconic location, inspired by New York City and the setting for *GTA IV* and *GTA: Chinatown Wars*, might make a return in *GTA VI*, either at launch or through post-launch DLC. *GTA VI* is set in Leonida, a fictional state based on Florida, featuring Vice City, Rockstar's version of Miami.

As the gaming community eagerly awaits further news, you can dive deeper into everything we know about *GTA VI*, including a comprehensive look at 70 new screenshots and expert analyses on how the game might perform on the PS5 Pro.