Several issues plagued the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, which launched exclusively on the Rockstar Games Launcher; as such, this iteration of the remastered collection is no longer available to purchase. Rockstar and publisher Take-Two Interactive released the trilogy yesterday, November 11, across consoles and PC, offering players a new way to experience the seminal sandbox games.
The collection packs in remastered versions of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, each of which originally hit store shelves during the PS2 era. These three games later resurfaced as digital-only versions for more modern platforms on storefronts such as PSN; however, within days of the GTA Trilogy announcement, Rockstar and Take-Two removed these classic builds from sale. Now, the newly released trilogy counts as the only way in which to purchase the generations-old adventures.
As reported by Eurogamer, Rockstar pulled GTA Trilogy's PC version from purchase on the official Rockstar Store. Because the Rockstar Games Launcher currently serves as the exclusive seller of the collection on PC, players can't resort to choosing another digital storefront. The game's temporary removal comes on the heels of a rocky release replete with performance issues that essentially made GTA Trilogy unplayable for many a PC user. In the middle of the night, Rockstar Support tweeted that the Rockstar Games Launcher will remain down while its team works on "restoring services." As of writing, there exists no word on when exactly the launcher will resume service.
Needless to say, this issue perfectly exemplifies why PC users expressed frustration the GTA Trilogy's Rockstar Games Launcher exclusivity. A GTA Trilogy-related SteamDB leak suggests the collection may eventually migrate to other platforms, yet Rockstar Games has yet to corroborate as much. Hopefully, the issue with the studio's launcher reaches a resolution sometime soon.
The latest Grand Theft Auto release has been mired in internet controversy since its official announcement in October. For one, the reveal trailer didn't inspire much confidence due to the quality of the collection's updated visuals. Rockstar Games' refusal to share more details in the lead up to launch similarly had fans on edge. Now the trilogy is out and coming under scrutiny, primarily because of performance issues and what many consider disappointing gameplay upgrades. The PC troubles constitute but another unfortunate turn of events.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is still available to pick up across Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
Source: Eurogamer, Rockstar Support