Summary
Grand Theft Auto 3, the game that launched Rockstar Games into the stratosphere, originally included an online multiplayer mode which was eventually canceled. AlongsideGTA 3,GTA Vice CityandGTA San Andreasare the only other main entries in the series to not feature online multiplayer.
The scintillatingsuccess ofGTA Online, which launched days afterGTA 5in October 2013, is a testament to the franchise’s potential as an online multiplayer affair. It turns outGTA 3could also have had certain multiplayer elements had it not been for a late change of mind by the developer. Interestingly,GTA 3skipping this avenue also set the path for the next few games that followed.
On Twitter, former Rockstar Games employee Obbe Vermeij, who worked onGTA 3as one of the two Technical Directors, revealed that the action-adventure game initially had multiplayer. Answering a fan’s query, the dev revealed that he “coded"GTA 3’s multiplayer before it was scrapped. Vermeij stated that, since the 2001 game’s predecessor had this mode, it was also expected to feature something similar. He mentioned that even though the “basic gameplay was working,” the multiplayer part was binned by developer Rockstar Games UK (formerly DMA Design/Rockstar North) as there was “too much to be done.”
Moreover, Vermeij pointed out that similar efforts forVice Citydidn’t bear fruit either. By the timeSan Andreasrolled out, the console generation was coming to a close and there was seemingly little incentive to make key changes to the existing blueprint, leading to the developer settling for a co-op mode. Further, he highlighted that, withGTA 4, things changed on this front as Rockstar Games hired “enough coders and level designers” to create an online multiplayer mode. All things considered, Vermeij’s tweet answered yet another fan query, having resolved popular ones before, such aswhy theGTA 3protagonist didn’t have dialogue.
GTA 3 Continues to Be Popular Among Gamers
After more than two decades since its release,GTA 3continues to generate significant interest from gamers. The appeal of this open-world game is such that the community is still building mods influenced by it. Case in point, a recent instance where a modderreimagined the world ofGTA 3with upgraded graphicsby tinkering with the latestGTAgame.
It’s worth noting thatGTA 3’s relevance today isn’t just limited to the passion project of some individuals but also shows up in the form of sales. In tandem withVice CityandSan Andreas,GTA 3has contributed to thestrong performance of theGTA Trilogy, which features remastered versions of the three games.
Grand Theft Auto 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the epic open world adventure that started it all updated for a new generation with across-the-board enhancements including brilliant new lighting and environmental upgrades, with high-resolution textures, increased draw distance, Grand Theft Auto V-style controls and targeting, and much more, bringing these beloved worlds to life with all new levels of detail. It all starts in Liberty City. With revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
