Rockstar Acquires GTA Trilogy Developer, Rebrands as Rockstar Australia

Rockstar Games 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 studio has a rich history of collaboration with Rockstar, contributing to projects like the 2017 re-releases of L.A. Noire and L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, as well as recent enhancements to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition for platforms such as iOS, Android, Netflix, and modern consoles.

It's important to distinguish Video Games Deluxe from Grove Street Games, which faced significant criticism for the initial poor quality of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition back in 2021. Grove Street Games' leader expressed frustration over being omitted from the game's credits following a long-awaited update that resolved many issues, an update which was actually developed by Video Games Deluxe.

Jennifer Kolbe, Head of Publishing at Rockstar Games, shared her excitement 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 established by Brendan McNamara, who also founded Team Bondi, the original developer of L.A. Noire. In 2011, Team Bondi faced allegations of harsh working conditions during the development of L.A. Noire, leading to the studio's eventual closure. Since then, McNamara has maintained a low profile until now.

Commenting on the acquisition, McNamara expressed, “It’s been an honor to work closely with Rockstar Games this past decade. We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible.”

The formation of Rockstar Australia is timely, as it precedes the anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6, slated for the fall of 2025. In December 2023, a former Rockstar developer provided insights into why GTA 6 will first launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S before coming to PC, urging PC gamers to trust Rockstar's strategy.

For more on GTA 6, check out Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's comments addressing concerns about the future of GTA Online following the release of GTA 6.