GTA 4 Turns 17 Years Old

GTA 4 just turned 17 years old since its original release on April 29, 2008, for PS3 and Xbox 360. The PC version followed a bit later, launching in December of the same year.

As is tradition, many gamers are celebrating the game’s birthday.

“Today marks the 17th anniversary of GTA 4.17 long years, fun fact, as it was "modern day" for it's time, GTA IV is now FURTHER back in time than GTA SA was to it's time setting when it released in 2004 (set in 1992, 12 years) we're getting old,” wrote TheNathanNS.

“17 years ago I waited in line for my copy of GTA 4! It came with a lockbox that I actually still use to this day. Somehow Rockstar Games did it again, and made one of the greatest games of all time that's stood the test of time. Happy birthday to the GOAT!” shared ZenkaiGoose.

“That game was DRIPPING with atmosphere, something missing from a lot of open world games that came after it. Side note: I can't believe 2008 was 17 years ago,” added protopop.

To mark the occasion, former Rockstar employee Obbe Vermeij, who worked on the project, shared some memories from the development process. He recalled that the company was aiming for a true “next-gen” experience at the time, and missions were designed with the story in mind first—unlike previous games, where the story was often adapted to fit the missions.

Vermeij also mentioned that GTA 4 was originally planned for release on October 16, 2007, to hit the holiday season, but the company decided to delay it in the summer of 2007. He speculated that if GTA 6’s release date gets pushed back, it might happen in a similar way. However, he stressed that this is just his personal opinion and he doesn’t have any insider information.