Liberty City History: Every GTA Game Set in Liberty City
Liberty City is Grand Theft Auto’s take on New York City and the most frequently used setting in the series. It appears in the original GTA (1997), GTA III (2001), GTA Advance (2004), Liberty City Stories (2005), GTA IV (2008) with its episodes, and Chinatown Wars (2009). Each game reinvents the city for its era and technology.
Quick answer: the two biggest Liberty City games are GTA III (2001), which brought the series into 3D, and GTA IV (2008), which rebuilt the city in HD.
Liberty City games at a glance
| Game | Release | Universe | Protagonist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto | 1997 | 2D | Choice of characters |
| GTA III | 2001 | 3D | Claude |
| GTA Advance | 2004 | 3D | Mike |
| GTA Liberty City Stories | 2005 | 3D | Toni Cipriani |
| GTA IV | 2008 | HD | Niko Bellic |
| The Lost and Damned / The Ballad of Gay Tony | 2009 | HD | Johnny Klebitz / Luis Lopez |
| GTA Chinatown Wars | 2009 | HD | Huang Lee |
For every game in the series in order, see our complete GTA timeline.
Three universes, three Liberty Cities
Rockstar’s games are grouped into separate continuities. The 2D universe covers the earliest top-down games, the 3D universe covers the PS2-era titles, and the HD universe starts with GTA IV and continues through GTA 5 and GTA 6. Liberty City exists in all three, but the versions are different cities with different maps and histories.
GTA III (2001): the city goes 3D
GTA III was a turning point for open-world games. Its Liberty City, split into three islands, was dark, rainy and dangerous. The silent protagonist Claude is betrayed during a robbery and works his way through the Mafia, the Yakuza and other gangs to get revenge. Its radio stations, freedom and storytelling set the template for every GTA since.
GTA Advance and Liberty City Stories
GTA Advance, released on Game Boy Advance, returned to a top-down view but was set in the 3D-universe Liberty City shortly before GTA III. Liberty City Stories, first on PSP and later on PS2, is a prequel set in 1998. You play Toni Cipriani, a Leone family mobster, and see the city a few years before GTA III’s events.
GTA IV (2008): Liberty City in HD
GTA IV rebuilt Liberty City from scratch as a detailed, realistic version of New York, with boroughs inspired by Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and New Jersey. Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant chasing the American dream and a past betrayal, is one of the series’ most serious protagonists. The game introduced more realistic physics and driving, and its two episodes followed biker Johnny Klebitz and nightclub bodyguard Luis Lopez in the same city. If you are curious how this HD universe connects to the modern games, our GTA 6 vs GTA 5 guide looks at the evolution.
Chinatown Wars (2009)
Chinatown Wars, designed for Nintendo DS and later released on PSP and mobile, used a top-down, cel-shaded style with a map based on GTA IV’s Liberty City. Huang Lee comes to the city to deliver an heirloom sword and is drawn into the Triads. It was praised for its drug-trading system and touch-screen mini-games.
Is Liberty City in GTA 5 or GTA 6?
Liberty City is not a playable location in GTA 5 or in Rockstar’s announced plans for GTA 6, which focus on Vice City and Leonida. GTA 5 and GTA Online include references to Liberty City through dialogue, radio and characters. Read our Vice City history to learn about GTA 6’s setting.
Liberty City landmarks and their real inspirations
- Statue of Happiness: a parody of the Statue of Liberty in GTA IV.
- Star Junction: GTA IV’s version of Times Square.
- Middle Park: a nod to Central Park.
- Broker, Dukes and Bohan: GTA IV boroughs inspired by Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
FAQ
Which GTA has the best Liberty City?
Most players consider GTA IV’s version the most detailed and atmospheric, while GTA III’s remains the most influential.
Can I play GTA III today?
Yes. A remastered GTA III is part of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021), which also includes Vice City and San Andreas.
Will Liberty City come back in a future GTA?
Rockstar has not announced anything. Treat rumours as speculation until official news.
Conclusion
Liberty City has been reinvented again and again, from the 1997 top-down grid to GTA III’s groundbreaking 3D world and GTA IV’s HD metropolis. While GTA 6 heads south to Vice City, Liberty City remains the series’ most iconic home.