Rumored: The Grand Theft Auto remastered trilogy is headed to Google Stadia

Update: Though Kotaku’s source is reliable and has a track record for accuracy, I still felt it important to clarify that this is still classified as a rumor.

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With its upcoming release on Nintendo Switch, the Grand Theft Auto remastered trilogy is also now confirmed to be coming to Google’s cloud gaming platform – Stadia! While Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar have seemingly withdrawn their support from the cloud streaming brand in recent history, this could mark their re-entry into the space with Google. Most of Take-Two’s upcoming games are not slated to release on Stadia, but Rockstar, specifically does already have Red Dead Redemption available to play – in fact, it was one of the first titles that Google partnered with!

According to Kotaku, who has a source close to the development of the upcoming trilogy – originally released on the Playstation 2 – GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas will all be available in the near future to play with just a few clicks in the cloud! They are being built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4 – the industry standard – and should look fantastic on larger screens.

They will utilize some of the older graphics, but where necessary, Rockstar Dundee, the developer, is going to be recreating some aspects with new models and textures. Kotaku says that Rockstar wants to make sure these three gems remain as identical to their original as possible, while providing an experience that’s modern and worthwhile for newcomers and fans alike.

If you’ve never played any of the three extremely popular titles when they first released, then I think you’re in for a real treat. They provide hours of open-world, sandbox fun and freedom that revolutionized the gaming industry. Just know while previewing the trailers below and when playing them post-release that they viewer/player discretion is advised.

Basically, don’t go buying this in the cloud for your little ones – they have loads of violence, sexual content, and drug use, but simulated experiences allow us to experience fictional worlds without the consequences, so long as we understand difference between fantasy and reality, right?

Grand Theft Auto III

Set within the fictional Liberty City (loosely based on New York City), the story follows a silent protagonist, Claude, who, after being betrayed and left for dead by his girlfriend during a robbery, embarks on a quest for revenge that leads him to become entangled in a world of crime, drugs, gang warfare, and corruption.

Grand Theft Auto Vice City

Set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City, based on Miami, the single-player story follows mobster Tommy Vercetti’s rise to power after his release from prison and being caught up in an ambushed drug deal. While seeking out those responsible, he slowly builds an empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

The story follows former gangster Carl “CJ” Johnson, who returns home after the death of his mother and is drawn back into his former gang and a life of crime while clashing with corrupt authorities and rival criminal syndicates.