Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition News

Why does GTA 3's moon change shape when you snipe it? Because some Rockstar devs couldn't settle a tiff

Why does the moon in GTA 3 change size whenever you shoot it with a sniper rifle? It’s a question that’s been haunting all of us for a long time now. Well, Thanks to one of the developers who worked on the game, we now know the answer.

GTA games are known for being home to the odd semi-hidden quirk or easter egg can that make for a great way to impress your little cousin if it’s their first time watching you play. Getting inside the Statue of Liberty in GTA 4 and casually basking in the cartoonish red glow of its beating heart is probably my personal favourite, but I’d imagine it didn’t come about via an unresolved dev argument.

You know what did? The fact that you can cause GTA 3’s moon to change size by sticking a bullet in it. Yup, ex-Rockstar Technical Director Obbe Vermeij - who you might remembeR having previously shared some details about a brief effort to make a Scottish zombie survival game using Vice City’s code - was there, and the whole moon thing was his way of trying to stop his coworkers from arguing with each other.

Grand Theft Auto has long stood the test of time as one of the most iconic game series ever. Rockstar Games' long-lasting line of city-based criminal activity-focused experiences has just evolved even further with the company's new GTA+ subscription membership benefits. The developer just announced that all players subscribed will have access to a steadily changing selection of classic Grand Theft Auto games, from beloved entries like San Andreas to Vice City.

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Rockstar loses another one of its key writers

Michael Unsworth, vice president of writing at Rockstar Games, has seemingly left the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption developer.

As spotted by GTAForums user Rucke, and shared by Rockstar Games new account SWEGTA, Unsworth recently updated his LinkedIn page indicating that he was no longer with the developer. There's no indication on his profile as to what he's doing next, and neither he nor Rockstar has shared why he decided to leave. Unsworth has been with Rockstar for 16 years, starting as a senior creative writer in 2007, later going on to become writing director in 2019, before spending the past two years as the company's vice president of writing.

His credits include a big range of the developer's catalogue, including Grand Theft Auto 4, Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto 5, Max Payne 3, LA Noire, and most recently Red Dead Redemption 2. It's unclear at this point in time if he will be credited for any writing on GTA 6, or even if he has done any for it, as it's not currently listed in his writing credits.

Grand Theft Auto 4 seemed to catch people off guard. When it was released in 2008, the Rockstar sandbox game was a broad departure from the wacky, playground style of GTA San Andreas. You couldn't go to the gym. You couldn't steal a fighter plane. There were no jet packs. But over time, with the emergence of Red Dead Redemption and, moreover, RDR2, Grand Theft Auto 4's more somber, sober approach has become more appreciated. With the GTA 6 release date on its way, and perhaps a little fatigue setting in after more than ten years of Grand Theft Auto 5, the best, bravest, and most well-told GTA Rockstar ever made is worth replaying - especially for the low price of less than $6, courtesy of a new Steam sale.

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Red Dead Redemption and GTA4 remasters reportedly scrapped after GTA Trilogy debacle

Rockstar have reportedly shelved plans for remasters of Red Dead Redemption and GTAIV after the poor reception of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. The trilogy, which released late last year, was a technical disaster and heavily criticised despite high sales.