The three mainline Grand Theft Auto games for PlayStation 2 are being remastered for PlayStation, Xbox, and even the Nintendo Switch, according to reputable sources. Although details are relatively scarce regarding just how "remastered" these GTA games actually are, it sounds like fans will be getting first official details very soon as the games are reportedly in the final stages of development. Rumors of a remastered GTA trilogy have been brewing all year long and it seems like it's finally about to come to fruition.
Rockstar used to pump out games at a relatively quick rate in the early to late 2000s, but started taking more time between release after Grand Theft Auto V. Red Dead Redemption 2 was a global effort from all of Rockstar's studios, meaning there wasn't much room for them to develop other games in between. To help lighten some of the load, Rockstar enlisted the help of Ruffian Games, now known as Rockstar Dundee, which is reportedly working on re-releases of Rockstar titles.
Corroborated by journalist Andy Robinson, Kotaku is reporting that Rockstar Dundee is helping out with both the upcoming remaster of Grand Theft Auto V and remasters of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, PC, and mobile devices. The three remasters are being built on the Unreal Engine with a "mix of old and new graphics" and one source described the visuals as a "heavily-modded version of a classic GTA title." Rockstar is also reportedly trying to stay true to the original versions gameplay-wise. Rockstar was reportedly planning to package the remastered collection with the upcoming GTA V re-release as a bonus, but it's unclear if that's still the plan. As of right now, it's believed the trilogy will release in October or November.
Rockstar Games' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has been aggressively taking down GTA mods that relate to older games in the franchise. These rather harmless mods were deemed as harmful to "the economy" by Take-Two. Some took this to mean that the mods would be getting in the way of plans for an unannounced remaster of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy. If Kotaku's report is accurate, this seems like a likely cause.
As for when this project might officially be revealed, PlayStation is reportedly holding a State of Play later this month with a big surprise. It's entirely possible that Rockstar could debut first footage of the Grand Theft Auto V re-release at this event and announce the trilogy there as well. Even if the developer avoids the event, it will likely announce the Grand Theft Auto trilogy whenever it starts to share more details about the GTA V re-release.
Source: Kotaku, Andy Robinson/Twitter