Rockstar Acquires GTA Trilogy Developer, Rebrands as Rockstar Australia

Rockstar Games has officially acquired Video Games Deluxe, the developer behind the recent upgrades to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, and has rebranded it as Rockstar Australia. This move solidifies a long-standing collaboration between the two companies, which began with projects like the 2017 re-releases of L.A. Noire and L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, as well as the latest enhancements for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition across iOS, Android, Netflix, and modern consoles.

It's important to differentiate Video Games Deluxe from Grove Street Games, which faced significant backlash for the initial poor quality of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition released in 2021. The head of Grove Street Games expressed frustration over being omitted from the credits of a subsequent update, which was actually developed by Video Games Deluxe.

Jennifer Kolbe, Head of Publishing at Rockstar Games, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, “After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia.”

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16 ImagesVideo Games Deluxe was founded by Brendan McNamara, who also founded Team Bondi, the developer of L.A. Noire. McNamara's previous studio, Team Bondi, faced allegations of terrible working conditions during the development of L.A. Noire in 2011, leading to its eventual closure. McNamara has kept a low profile since then, but he expressed his honor in continuing to work with Rockstar Games over the past decade, stating, “We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible.”

In December 2023, a former Rockstar developer tried to shed light on why GTA 6 is slated to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S before coming to PC, urging PC gamers to trust the studio's decision-making process despite the controversy.

For more on GTA 6, including insights from Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick on the future of GTA Online post-GTA 6 launch, stay tuned.