GTA Online Could Be Getting A Massive GTA IV Expansion
It's the gift that keeps on giving, and some nine years after Grand Theft Online first came out, Rockstar Games refuses to give up its golden goose. With regular updates still keeping San Andreas fresh, the latest leaks suggest we could be getting a supersized overhaul that will honour one of the GTA greats.
Long before GTA V was becoming the most profitable entertainment product of all time, we had the highs of GTA IV. In 2008, Rockstar made the leap into the HD universe and delivered its biggest outing yet. Focusing on the new locale of Liberty City and introducing Niko Bellic to the fold, it has since become a classic and is held as one of the best video games of all time. So, why not cash in on all that retro nostalgia?
Is GTA IV Coming To GTA Online?
Unlike the recent release of the remastered GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, GTA VI has been left to gather dust on the shelf. We've also seen a continuation of GTA V thanks to Online's The Contracts update confirming Trevor and Michael survived their possible deaths in the main game. Now, GTA Online may reveal what happened to Niko next.
Portuguese leaker Matheusvictorbr has gained quite the following for their insider scoop, but their latest is a doozy. Posting on Twitter, they claim a massive Liberty City expansion will be coming to GTA Online, meaning we'll get to revisit Niko's stomping ground for the first time since The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC dropped in 2009. Matheusvictorbr wrote: "Recent information I get from sources, there's a BIG summer update coming to GTA Online, and we'll see good connections between them... Map expansion!"
What makes this even more interesting is the fact they ended the tweet with a Statue of Liberty emoji and the promise of "soon". It doesn't take a genius to figure out they're giving a pretty major nod toward a Liberty City expansion. Remembering how GTA Online has repeatedly tied back to other main entries in the GTA franchise, it's easy to get your hopes up.
What Could A GTA IV Expansion Mean For Online?
When we last left GTA IV, Niko's life went one of two ways, with his "revenge ending" resulting in the death of his girlfriend and the "deal ending" leaving an attempt on his life at his cousin's ending. Niko survives in both scenarios, and in GTA V, Lester makes a mention of "an Eastern European guy making moves in Liberty City" - saying he's gone quiet. Even though Niko has presumably given up his life of crime, we'd love to see him lured back into this dark underbelly.
We should also remember there have been continued whispers of a GTA IV remaster, although, that isn't tipped to be out until next year. All in all, the idea of a GTA IV expansion to Online comes at a time we're expecting Rockstar to move forward instead of looking back. The release of Expanded & Enhanced showed off a new-gen version of GTA V, but so far, our hopes of its teasing GTA 6 have been quashed. If a huge summer update is coming to Online, it would make sense to queue the next chapter. Hopefully, Niko's long-awaited return is on the cards.
