Rockstar apologizes for GTA Trilogy issues, makes the old versions of GTA available again

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The studio admitted that the remastered trilogy "did not launch in a state that meets our own standards of quality."

gta trilogy remaster
(Image credit: Rockstar)

The release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition has not gone well. In fact, we have separately described it as a "mess" and a "trainwreck" that has left fans pining for the original versions, which were delisted when the trilogy came out. Today those fans got some good news: Rockstar is bringing the classic versions back.

"Firstly, we want to sincerely apologize to everyone who has encountered issues playing these games," Rockstar wrote. "The Grand Theft Auto series—and the games that make up this iconic trilogy—are as special to us as we know they are to fans around the world. The updated versions of these classic games did not launch in a state that meets our own standards of quality, or the standards our fans have come to expect."

It's not giving up on the remastered trilogy, promising that fixes and improvements will be delivered in future updates. In the meantime, however, the "classic versions" of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas will be returned to the Rockstar Store as a bundle. Even better, anyone who owns the GTA Trilogy, or who purchases it through June 30, 2022, will be given the classic games for free.

The return of the original games is good news. Less happy is the reaction to the sorry state of the trilogy among some fans, which has led to developers of the trilogy "being harassed on social media," Rockstar said. "We would kindly ask our community to please maintain a respectful and civil discourse around this release as we work through these issues."

A Rockstar rep confirmed that the classic GTA trilogy bundle will only be available through the Rockstar launcher, and not on Steam. Rockstar said it will release another update as soon as the games are available again. 

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Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.