Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster planned until recently

Poor reception to the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition may be the reason why Rockstar scrapped them

Any fan of Red Dead Redemption has no doubt been desperate for a remaster since the second game’s release. The game is only available on modern hardware through Xbox’s backwards compatibility or PlayStation’s game streaming service. Likewise Grand Theft Auto IV isn’t available on PS4 or PS5, although – unlike Red Dead – it is available on PC through Steam.

And now it seems that Rockstar didn’t entirely ignore people’s calls for remasters of these games onto modern consoles. According to reputable insider, Tez2, “remasters of GTA IV & RDR1 were on the table a few years ago”.

Red Dead Disappointment

A separate tweet states that these remasters “remained on the table even when the Trilogy launched”. If this is true, then likelihood is Rockstar was waiting to see how Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition turned out before greenlighting further remasters. This trilogy being remakes of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas.

Given the massive backlash Rockstar understandably got for the GTA Trilogy, it’s easy to see why they didn’t greenlight more. Many fans criticised the trilogy as a rushed project shipped out by a third-party company.

So, maybe the Trilogy’s critical lambasting was a blessing in disguise. After all, it may have prevented Red Dead Redemption and GTA 4 from getting similar treatments. Or, maybe the decision to scrap these remasters was made independently of the trilogy’s failure. Either way, don’t get your hopes up for a Red Dead Redemption or Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster any time soon. I mean hey, who needs those old games when you can buy Grand Theft Auto V for the third console generation in a row?

Are you upset that we didn’t get Red Dead Redemption or Grand Theft Auto 4 remasters? Or are you glad that they didn’t get the GTA Trilogy treatment? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below! You can also hop over to our Discord to chat with us about all things gaming and entertainment.