GTA Remaster Trilogy Studio Lead Calls Out Rockstar Games
Grove Street Games, formerly War Drum Studios, has worked with Rockstar Games for over a decade, porting their titles to mobile platforms.
The drama continues - just as most of us thought that removing Grove Street Games from the splash screen was the end of the story between the Florida-based studio and Rockstar Games, that's where we were wrong. The studio that worked on Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is firing back, and they've got ammo.
Thomas Williamson, the self-proclaimed "final boss", over at the aforementioned studio, finally talked about their latest project, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, for the first time in three years, speaking out against their long-time partners.
Williamson on X had a straightforward response to the allegations that Rockstar had cut ties with Grove Street Games, saying that what Rockstar did was a "dick move" after they provided "hundreds of fixes" that took years to find their way into the game.
The drama started when Rockstar nonchalantly updated the GTA Remastered trilogy, bringing all three games up to par with their mobile counterparts. While the improvements briefly took the headlines, it was the removal of Grove Street Games from each title's splash screen that became the talk of the town.
Many were under the impression that this was Rockstar's way of cutting ties with the studio, which is ironically named after one of the most famous landmarks from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grove Street, the home of the Grove Street Families gang, and the game's protagonist, CJ.
Video Game Deluxe, a studio made up of former L.A. Noire developers, worked on the GTA remastered trilogy's ports for Netflix, iOS and Android devices. The studio received most of the praise following the updates. However, Williamson's statement suggests Grove Street Games contributed a lot to the fixes.
Between Grove Street Games unfollowing Rockstar on X and Williamson adding a new layer to the narrative, it does feel like this drama won't end soon. However, don't expect Rockstar to break their usual silence and issue a response.
Grove Street Games, formerly known as War Drum Studios, has only worked on a single project after it was renamed. Throughout the years, War Drum Studios has worked closely with Rockstar, porting its games to mobile platforms. This includes previous versions of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and GTA San Andreas. The studio was also responsible for the 2016 mobile port of Bully, a game that's currently available on GTA+.
Speaking of the GTA remastered trilogy, the bundle leaves Netflix next month, which might explain why the port's improvements are now available on other platforms.
