GTA 4 Remaster Might Launch This Year, According to Trusted Leaker

A remastered version of Grand Theft Auto 4 might be on the horizon—and if the rumors are true, it could even drop before the end of 2025.

Originally released 17 years ago, GTA 4 has earned its place in gaming history. The game marked a shift for the series by focusing more on storytelling and character development rather than chaotic gameplay elements. Players fell in love with protagonist Niko Bellic's compelling journey as an immigrant trying to build a new life in Liberty City while dealing with his troubled past.

The buzz around a remaster comes from well-known leaker Tez2, who believes the project has already been in development for about a year. “Someone at R* hinted at the IV port, and by now it should've gone up a year in development. We may end up seeing it drop later this year,” Tez2 wrote in a gaming forum post.

According to him, the remaster might also be the reason Rockstar shut down the popular Liberty City Preservation Project—a fan-made mod that let players explore GTA 4’s iconic city using GTA 5’s engine.

While Tez2 referred to the project as a “port,” it sounds more like a full-on remaster. After all, bringing a 2008 game to current-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S would definitely require more than just a simple re-release. Visual upgrades, performance boosts—you name it.

And this wouldn’t be Rockstar’s first rodeo when it comes to remasters. They’ve already re-released Red Dead Redemption and the GTA Trilogy (GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas). That said, the GTA Trilogy didn’t exactly win fans over—players slammed it for bugs, missing features, and strange visual choices.

Former Rockstar developer Obbe Vermeij also chimed in earlier this year. Shortly after the Liberty City mod was pulled in January, he speculated on X (formerly Twitter) that Rockstar might be protecting plans for an official GTA 4 remaster.

“The Liberty City preservation project (GTA 4 in GTA 5 engine) would interfere with a possible GTA 4 remaster,” Vermeij noted. He clarified he doesn’t have insider info, but said he thinks Rockstar should go ahead with a proper remaster—especially after the missteps with past re-releases.

He also pointed out that it’d be easier for fans to accept takedowns of fan projects if Rockstar were offering “competent remasters” in return.

In another interesting detail, Tez2 claimed that Rockstar is planning to release a remaster of Max Payne 3 once they’re done with GTA 4. That suggests the studio may be working through its back catalog, giving its older hits a fresh coat of paint while everyone waits for GTA 6 until May 2026.

As of now, Rockstar hasn’t officially confirmed anything. And with GTA 6 already facing delay and the team knee-deep in crunch, it’s unlikely they’re juggling too many side projects. Still, Tez2 has a solid track record—and compared to most rumor mills, this one might actually hold some weight.