Recently rumours have been floating around that Rockstar will be releasing remastered versions of the classic PS2 era GTA trilogy, Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas.
It has been over 7 years since the release of GTA V, originally releasing back in 2013 on the PS3 and Xbox 360.
The PlayStation 2 saw 3 main series GTA games released on it, GTA V will soon have been released on three generations of PlayStations, we really need a new GTA game.
But with the current global pandemic
mic, a new game may be a while off and it might be the reason why Rockstar is remastering existing titles to bridge the gap while we wait for GTA 6.
Release Timeline
Over the last decade or so we have seen 2 GTA games and 2 Red Dead Redemption games be released.
GTA 4 was released back in 2008, followed by Red Dead Redemption 2 years later in 2010.
3 years later saw the release of GTA V in 2013, followed by Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018.
With games getting increasingly larger and technology advancing, game development times may increase, which could see longer gaps between releases.
The current rumour is that GTA 6 won't be released until 2023, a whole decade after GTA V.
Buying Time
Its unclear whether 2023 was always the planned release year of GTA 6, should the rumour be true.
The game hasn't even been announced yet so no-one really knows anything and it is all speculation, although it does have some weight to it.
With the current pandemic, most developers are working from home, which will understandably slow down the development of games.
We have seen many instances of this already throughout 2020 and 2021 and will likely continue to see games delayed over the coming months.
This could be the reason why GTA V is coming to the new next-gen consoles later this year, and why there is currently a rumour of GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas being remastered.
These releases help bridge the gap while we wait for GTA 6, and buy Rockstar extra development time.
Rockstar will still able to release the Cayo Perico Heist DLC despite working from home, although development was likely well underway before the pandemic happened.
Are The Rumours True?
Until an official announcement or trailer, we can't say whether the remastered trilogy is coming or not.
But numerous trusted leakers have all hinted at the remasters being in development.
Various studios under the Rockstar umbrella have been working on secret projects, so it is possible that one of them has been quietly working on the remasters without anyone suspecting a thing.