The long-rumored remasters of Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas are real. Rockstar Games officially announced today Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, a compilation that will include upgraded versions of all three classic games for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Rockstar didn't go into too much detail but did promise "across-the-board upgrades" for the games, including graphical improvements and modern gameplay enhancements. That being said, all three games will still "maintain the classic look and feel of the originals."
The remastered trilogy is in celebration of Grand Theft Auto III's 20th anniversary. On the topic, Rockstar explained:
Later this month marks a very special anniversary for Rockstar Games: 20 years since the original release of Grand Theft Auto III — the game that set players loose in the sprawling, three-dimensional metropolis of Liberty City with a new and unprecedented sense of freedom and immersion. In addition to carving a new path for the open world genre, Grand Theft Auto III established Grand Theft Auto as a cultural phenomenon, alongside its two subsequent — and equally legendary — entries in the series, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the Grand Theft Auto fans who have supported the games over the past two decades. Your love and appreciation for these games has helped push the Grand Theft Auto series forward with every iteration.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will launch later this year for consoles and PC. It will also be coming to iOS and Android devices in the first half of 2022. Pricing has not been announced and what's also unclear is whether or not these games will be released only as a bundle or if we will be able to purchase them individually as well.
In anticipation of the remastered trilogy's arrival, Rockstar will begin removing the existing versions of each classic title from digital retailers next week. On top of these re-releases, Rockstar is teasing some "special surprises" for GTA Online, "including the upcoming possibility of some unusual activity occuring in and around Southern San Andreas..."