While all eyes are currently on the first Netflix extended look at GTA 6, PC Gamer is reminding us of a nearly forgotten chapter in the series: Grand Theft Auto 4's multiplayer mode. As early as 2008 – six years before GTA Online – up to 16 players on consoles and even 32 on PC could cause havoc together in Liberty City.
What Could You Even Play in GTA 4's Multiplayer?
In total, GTA 4 offered around 15 different game modes. Besides classic Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, these included:
- Free Mode: free roaming throughout Liberty City with up to 16 (console) or 32 players (PC) – essentially a simple precursor to today's GTA Online Freemode
- Cops ‘n’ Crooks: one faction of gangsters had to escort their “Boss” to an escape point, while the police faction tried to stop them
- Turf War: gang warfare over individual city districts
- Races: ranging from orderly street races to chaotic custom matches with freely selectable vehicles
According to PC Gamer, this very freedom in vehicle choice led to the most legendary moments: In one race with 32 participants, around 25 players opted for fire trucks – the editorial team simply describes the result as “Chaos. Glorious chaos.”
Why is GTA 4's Multiplayer Mode Barely Known Today?
On consoles, the mode largely faded from public consciousness years ago with the shutdown of their respective online services. On PC, the community was hit even harder: Because GTA 4 relied on Microsoft's “Games for Windows Live” (GFWL) there, official online support ended on March 19, 2020, when Microsoft finally shut down the service. Anyone who still wants to play today needs unofficial community servers like GTA:Connected – Rockstar no longer officially supports the mode.
This also explains why GTA Online has dominated the series' multiplayer since its launch in 2013: there simply wasn't an official alternative anymore. However, a look back shows that many core ideas – free roaming in the open world, faction battles, absurd vehicle-chaos moments – were already present in GTA 4's multiplayer, just without the economic systems, heists, and continuous content updates that later made GTA Online famous. So for everyone currently waiting for GTA 6, a look back is definitely worthwhile: much of what Rockstar plans for the next installment has its roots in this often-overlooked chapter.
If you want to catch up on GTA 4 today, you can find the Complete Edition officially in the Rockstar Store.
Source: PC Gamer
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