GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition: Where does Grand Theft Auto III take place?

Andrew Highton
gta claude cutscene in gta 3

Despite being all-time classics, lots of modern gamers won’t be familiar with the original GTA trilogy of games from the PS2 era. Vice City and San Andreas are self-explanatory, but where is Rockstar’s GTA 3 set?

There is some obvious disappointment that GTA VI still hasn’t been announced yet, despite it being eight years since the ever-successful GTA V was released.

However, Rockstar has curtailed this sadness by developing Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of GTA III, Rockstar has decided to create the most complete makeovers of GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas to date. But these games are still quite new to a whole generation, and it’s left many wondering where GTA III is set.

Which city does GTA III take place in?

claude driving car in gta 3 remastered

Some players may be shocked to know that GTA III took place in Liberty City, meaning that Grand Theft Auto IV wasn’t the first GTA game to be set there.

Yes, Rockstar’s first real foray into a 3D, open-world, sandbox design was in the fictional city based on New York.

We don’t know why it was called GTA III and not GTA: Liberty City – in the style of the other trilogy entries in the franchise. Either way, given that the game originally came out in 2001, it’s understandable that lots of current gamers now might not be privy to this knowledge.

When is GTA III set?

gta trilogy the definitive edition

There doesn’t seem to be any official lore or information to give an accurate date, but according to multiple sources, and the GTA Fandom Wiki, the third main entry into the series was set in the year of its release – 2001.

GTA III is part of the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition, and we’ve had our first look at the game through its debut trailer.

For more Grand Theft Auto, check out how to get the GTA Online Prize Ride for free.

Image Credit: Rockstar Games

About The Author

A content creator for Charlie INTEL / Dexerto that earned a degree, wrote for PlusXP, Twinfinite, and Keengamer, before finally securing his dream job of being a professional video game writer. When not writing about games, he's very busy playing every game in existence and adding to his 11,000+ PlayStation Trophies and 150+ Platinums. You can contact him at [email protected].