While some hardcore Grand Theft Auto IV online players are probably very disappointed by its removal, it was a necessary sacrifice to get it back on Steam. '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.' Games For Windows Live was intrinsically tied to Grand Theft Auto IV's multiplayer modes on PC, so without that service, they could not return. ' Grand Theft Auto IV was originally created for the Games For Windows Live platform,' they said. In a statement given to PC Gamer, Rockstar elaborated. This mostly disliked PC service from Microsoft was very prevalent in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and companies are starting to run into issues as they can no longer get new keys over a decade out from the discounted service's launch.

Grand Theft Auto IV's removal from Steam and the multiplayer mode's absence upon its return can both be attributed to one thing: Games for Windows Live. Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition is coming back to Steam on March 19. On the plus side, Grand Theft Auto IV will now fully support Steam achievements. This encompasses the multiplayer mode that lets players free roam or participate in races and deathmatches as well as the leaderboards that accompany them. More notably, none of the multiplayer features will be accessible once the game returns to Steam. Some radio stations (RamJam FM, Self-Actualization FM, and Vice City FM) will be 'temporarily unavailable' when Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition launches in March and no ETA was given on when they will be added back. Sadly, those that do boot up Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition won't be able to access some things. Fortunately, all save files should be compatible for newer players and those who don't own just the base game or the Episodes from Liberty City DLC will be upgraded to the Complete Edition after a simple update.

Unfortunately, a significant chunk of the game will no longer be accessible, as the online modes have been cut.Īs Rockstar's Steam post confirms, the version that will be available on Steam after March 19 is Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edtion, which comes with all of the game's DLC and is also available on Rockstar's proprietary launcher. More than a month after its initial removal, Rockstar Games finally announced that GTA IV will be coming back to the online games marketplace on March 19. Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the most influential games of the 2000s, which is why it was sad to see it removed from Steam in January.

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