Grand Theft Auto IV Steam Delisiting Explained By Rockstar
Grand Theft Auto V and its Online component may be all the rage these days, but fans were recently thrown through a loop when the series’ beloved fourth entry was mysteriously delisted from digital storefront Steam. For days now, fans have been unable to purchase Grand Theft Auto IV with little official word from Rockstar, leaving rumors and speculation to run wild in its absence. However, it now appears that the studio has set the record straight in a statement with USgamer.
According to Rockstar, the Steam port was removed because of a current incompatibility with Microsoft’s defunct Games for Windows Live platform–a service that hasn’t been officially active since 2014. “Grand Theft Auto 4 was originally created for the Games For Windows Live platform,” the statement explained. “With Microsoft no longer supporting Games For Windows Live, it is no longer possible to generate the additional keys needed to continue selling the current version of the game.”
While the GTA fourquel sits shelved on Steam, the game’s unavailability doesn’t appear to be lasting forever. Rockstar confirms that they are now “looking at other options for distributing GTA4 for PC” and plan to provide an update about the situation “as soon as [they] can.”
As it’s been nearly six years following the end of Games for Windows Live, the measure to reconfigure the Grand Theft Auto IV PC port was an inevitable one. However, one can’t help but speculate about how the game may eventually return. After removing the game’s dependence on GFWL, a Steam homecoming would surely be an ideal option, but it’s also possible that Rockstar might find a resurgence best-suited for their own proprietary launcher–which doesn’t currently have Grand Theft Auto IV listed.
Grand Theft Auto IV is currently available on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
What do you think? Are you already missing GTA IV on Steam, or are you wondering why Rockstar waited this long to finally work towards a fix? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
