Grand Theft Auto VI, arguably the most anticipated video game of the current console cycle, has been delayed until at least May of 2026, according to developer Rockstar Games. However, rumors suggest gamers may soon receive an unexpected treat to tide them over until its launch.
A poster on GTAforums.com who goes by the handle “Tez2” recently claimed that Grand Theft Auto IV might be headed to modern consoles in 2025 in the form of a remaster. While it’s always important to take rumors with a grain of salt, Tez2 is noteworthy for being the insider responsible for alerting the general public to the existence of a Red Dead Redemption PC remaster.
Grand Theft Auto IV on Playstation, Xbox, and Switch?
According to Tez2’s GTAforums post, “someone at [Rockstar Games] hinted at the IV port, and by now it should’ve gone up a year in development.” The comment was given in response to a question concerning whether GTA IV might see a remaster on modern consoles in the wake of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI delay.
They go on to speculate that gamers could see the modern port released soon, claiming it “may drop later this year,” also adding that the impending remaster is likely responsible for Rockstar’s recent takedown of the Liberty City Preservation Project mod.
The timing of the comments coincides with the GTA VI delay announcement as well as the launch of the upcoming game’s second trailer, which has received nearly 104 million views on YouTube alone in the six days since its launch (as of the time of this article’s publication. According to Rockstar Games, it’s the ”biggest video launch of all time” across all viewing platforms.
Max Payne could return as well
There’s more potential good news for Rockstar Games fans. Per the same post by Tez2, gamers may also see the reemergence of the Max Payne franchise.
“If they still follow their plan laid out from the pandemic days,” wrote Tez2, “they’ll do an [Max Payne] port after IV. So that is an opportunity to do a bundle or a Definitive Edition. Max Payne 1 & 2 remakes, and a Max Payne 3 port.”
Max Payne was originally launched on PC in 2001, with console editions releasing on PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002. The gritty neo-noir story of a downtrodden NYPD detective turned vigilante was received with critical acclaim and spawned sequels and a Hollywood film starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.
Work on the remaster began in 2022, according to Rockstar Games, but no official release window has been announced as of yet. If Tez2’s prediction holds up, gamers should see the launch of a Max Payne definitive edition combining at least the first two titles somewhere between the launch of a GTA IV remaster and the highly anticipated launch of GTA VI.
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