Rockstar Games’ blockbuster title, Grand Theft Auto 3, once had an online multiplayer mode in development but was ultimately abandoned by the creators. GTA 3, along with GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas, stands out as one of the few titles in the series that did not include an online multiplayer feature.
The success of GTA Online, which debuted a short while after the release of GTA 5 in October 2013, demonstrated the series’ capabilities in offering a compelling online multiplayer experience. The potential for GTA 3 to incorporate multiplayer elements was there, but a decision made late in the development process led to its exclusion. This decision also influenced the development trajectory for future games in the series.
Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games employee and one of the Technical Directors for GTA 3, shared insights on Twitter about the game’s initial plans for an online mode. In response to a fan’s inquiry about the absence of multiplayer in the series until GTA IV, Vermeij revealed that he had developed a multiplayer mode for GTA 3, which was later scrapped. He noted that the first two GTA games included multiplayer, so it seemed logical to continue this trend with GTA 3.
Vermeij explained that while they had managed to get the basic gameplay for multiplayer working, the development team at Rockstar Games UK (previously known as DMA Design/Rockstar North) decided to drop the feature due to the overwhelming amount of work required. Attempts to reintroduce multiplayer in Vice City and San Andreas were unsuccessful, with the team opting for a co-op mode. It was in GTA 4 that Rockstar Games allocated sufficient resources, including coders and level designers, to successfully implement an online multiplayer mode.