Former Rockstar director defends GTA 4 remaster with Niko Bellic

The former technical director of Rockstar Games, Obbe Vermeij, reignited discussions about a possible GTA 4 remaster, despite there being no official confirmation from the studio. The statement came after rumors started by Tez2, a well-known leaker in the GTA community, who claimed that a port of Grand Theft Auto IV for modern platforms could be released as soon as 2025 — and that this had motivated the recent removal of a Liberty City mod for GTA 5.

Vermeij, who worked at Rockstar between 1995 and 2009 and was directly involved in the development of GTA 4, stated that the game “should be remastered” and reinforced his point:

“It's a great game and there have been several successful remasters recently,” said the former dev, indirectly referencing projects like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

The central praise was directed towards the game's protagonist, Niko Bellic, considered by Vermeij as “the best protagonist of any GTA”.

“I would like to see him updated,” he added. “Niko is still the best character in the franchise.”

Grand Theft Auto IV, released in 2008 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, marked the first title in the franchise to use the RAGE Engine (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine), and a potential remaster could update the title to the latest version of this engine — the same one used in Red Dead Redemption 2 and the future GTA 6.

Despite the enthusiasm of fans and the statements from the former employee, Rockstar has not issued any official statement regarding a re-release or remaster of GTA 4. The studio's declared priority remains the development of Grand Theft Auto VI, scheduled for fall 2025, with release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

In this context, releasing a remaster of GTA 4 during the same period as GTA 6 would be, at the very least, strategically contradictory. The company could, as it did with the port of the first Red Dead Redemption, outsource the project to another studio — but this move has not happened yet.

Liberty City, an environment inspired by New York, was not only the setting of GTA 4, but also of GTA: Chinatown Wars (2009). The city may still appear in GTA 6, either at launch or in post-launch content (DLC), according to community speculations. The new game will take place in the fictional state of Leonida, inspired by Florida, and will bring back Vice City, the franchise's version of Miami.

While uncertainties about Niko's return persist, the anticipation surrounding GTA 6 continues to grow. There are already dozens of new images available, predictions about the visuals on the PS5 Pro, and a detailed technical analysis of the new open-world generation that Rockstar promises to deliver.