Grand Theft Auto 3was a real watershed moment for the now-beloved series. It was the first to be rendered in full 3D and showed the potential of the chaotic world Rockstar had created. The one thing it didn’t have was multiplayer, but one former dev has now confirmed that it should have done.
In a written response to a question onTwitter/X, Obbe Vermeij confirmed that he had coded multiplayer for GTA 3. Unfortunately, though basic gameplay was functional, the workload was too high, and that part of the project was canceled.
I coded multiplayer for gta3. Since gta1 & 2 had MP we thought gta3 should have it as well. The basic gameplay was working but there was too much to be done and we cancelled it. We tried again for Vice and failed. When SA came around we thought it was too late in the console…
Vermeij originally joined Rockstar North as a coder in 1995, when the company was known as DMA Design. He went on to become Technical Director and was credited on every game from GTA 3, all the way up to GTA IV and Chinatown Wars.
“I coded multiplayer for GTA 3. Since GTA 1 & 2 had MP, we thought GTA 3 should have it as well. The basic gameplay was working, but there was too much to be done, and we canceled it,” he said.
GTA San Andreas suffered a similar fate, with Vermeij stating that the game came too late into the console cycle to make multiplayer practical. Instead, players got a more manageable co-op mode before GTA IV reintroduced full-blown multiplayer.
Vermeij also took time to praise the extensive modding scene surrounding the older GTA games, including those that have made multiplayer in San Andreas a reality. When asked about SA: MP and Multi Theft Auto, specifically, he had this to say:
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“Pretty impressive. Great to see the communities are still so active.”
The news that GTA 3 nearly had multiplayer will open the game up to questions of what might have been. It is undoubtedly a beloved title in its own right, but theaddition of multiplayerwould have elevated the game significantly.
James Lynch is a Games Writer on Dexerto’s UK team, specializing in Destiny, World of Warcraft, Baldur’s Gate, Elden Ring, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Assassin’s Creed, strategy and RPG games. He also has bylines at CBR and GG Recon. You can contact him at: james.lynch@dexerto.com
