Rockstar Acquires GTA Trilogy Developer, Rebrands as Rockstar Australia

Rockstar has officially acquired Video Games Deluxe, the developer behind Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, and has rebranded it as Rockstar Australia. This move signifies a closer integration following years of collaboration on various projects, including the 2017 re-releases of L.A. Noire and L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, as well as the recent upgrades to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition for iOS, Android, Netflix, and modern consoles.

It's important to distinguish Video Games Deluxe from Grove Street Games, the studio that faced backlash for the initial poor quality of the 2021 release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. Grove Street Games' leader had expressed frustration over being removed from the game's credits after a subsequent update, which was actually developed by Video Games Deluxe, successfully addressed the issues.

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

Every GTA Game Ranked

16 Images

Video Games Deluxe was founded by Brendan McNamara, who previously founded Team Bondi, the developer of L.A. Noire. In 2011, Team Bondi came under scrutiny for alleged terrible working conditions during the development of L.A. Noire, leading to the studio's closure. McNamara has maintained a low profile since then, but expressed his honor in working with Rockstar 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."

The establishment of Rockstar Australia is timely, coming ahead of the anticipated fall 2025 release of Grand Theft Auto 6. In December 2023, a former Rockstar developer attempted to justify the decision to release GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S before PC, urging PC gamers to give the studio the benefit of the doubt regarding its launch strategy.

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