Grand Theft Auto 2 is a top-down crime action game developed by DMA Design in Dundee and published by Rockstar Games for Windows and PlayStation on 22 October 1999. A Dreamcast version followed in May 2000 and a Game Boy Color version in December 2000.
The game is set in a retrofuturistic metropolis called Anywhere City, split into Downtown, Residential and Industrial districts. Each level has two local gangs plus one that appears everywhere; jobs for one gang raise respect with it but lower standing with its rivals. To promote the game, Rockstar shot an eight-minute live-action short in New York, written by Dan Houser and directed by Alex De Rakoff, with Scott Maslen as Claude Speed. The team had considered the working title "Eh Stole E' Motur" but dropped it for fear of hurting international appeal.
In Russia the game was localized by Buka as GTA 2: Bespredel. From 22 December 2004 Rockstar offered the PC version with multiplayer free of charge, and on 4 January 2008 the game appeared on Steam.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Grand Theft Auto 2Dreamcast; Europe 20 May 2000. The only Grand Theft Auto game released on Dreamcast. | Other | May 1, 2000 | Rockstar Games | 1 |
| WW | Grand Theft Auto 2Japanese Wikipedia gives 30 September 1999 for the PC version. | Windows | Oct 22, 1999 | Rockstar Games | 1 |
| WW | Grand Theft Auto 2 | PlayStation | Oct 22, 1999 | Rockstar Games | 1 |
| WW | Grand Theft Auto 2Developed by Tarantula Studios. | Game Boy Color | December 2000 | Rockstar Games | 1 |
| WW | Grand Theft Auto 2Free PC version with multiplayer offered on the Rockstar website; no longer offered. | Windows | Dec 22, 2004 | Rockstar Games | 2 |
| WW | Grand Theft Auto 2Steam re-release; the Steam store no longer lists the game. | Windows | Jan 4, 2008 | Rockstar Games | 2 |
Also known as: GTA2 WW3GTA 2: Беспредел RU2グラセフ2 JP3
Box art by region
NA Grand Theft Auto 2
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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GameplayGame Boy Color
The Game Boy Color version, made by Tarantula Studios, offers six characters instead of one and was poorly received.1
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AudioGame Boy Color
The Game Boy Color version includes a sped-up rendition of AC/DC's "Back in Black".1
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ContentPC 2004 free release
The free PC version Rockstar offered from December 2004 included multiplayer.2
Translations
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Russian Official
БукаWindowsReleased
Buka localized and published the game in Russia as GTA 2: Bespredel.2
Reception
Reviews were mixed: GameRankings averaged 71.50% for PC, 70.80% for Dreamcast, 69.92% for PlayStation and 35.00% for Game Boy Color. Critics liked the soundtrack and the gang respect system but felt the graphics and design barely moved on from the first game. Over 1.2 million copies were shipped, and about 2 million copies were sold worldwide.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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