In a surprising turn of events, Meta has announced that its highly anticipated virtual reality remake of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has been put on hold indefinitely. This news comes as a disappointment to many VR enthusiasts who were eagerly awaiting the chance to explore the iconic streets of Los Santos in immersive virtual reality.
The project, which was first revealed during Facebook Connect in October 2021, was described by Meta as a project many years in the making. However, since its initial announcement, details about the game's development have been scarce, with no gameplay footage or release window ever being shown to the public.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the indefinite hold to IGN via email, and the official Meta Quest VR YouTube account further elaborated on the situation, stating, GTA: San Andreas is on hold indefinitely while we both focus on other projects. We look forward to working with our friends at Rockstar in the future.
This setback for Meta's VR ambitions comes at a time when the company's Reality Labs division is facing significant financial challenges. According to recent reports, the VR-centric division accrued losses of $16 billion in 2023 alone, highlighting the ongoing struggles in the VR gaming market.
Despite this setback, the VR gaming landscape continues to evolve, with other major franchises like Hitman and Batman: Arkham receiving VR adaptations. However, Meta's recent closure of the Lone Echo studio Ready at Dawn suggests that the company may be reevaluating its approach to VR game development.
For fans of the Grand Theft Auto series, this news may be particularly disappointing. The original GTA: San Andreas, released in 2004, remains a beloved classic in the franchise. The prospect of revisiting its sprawling open world and engaging storyline in VR had generated considerable excitement among both longtime fans and VR enthusiasts.
While the future of GTA: San Andreas VR remains uncertain, Meta's statement about looking forward to working with Rockstar in the future leaves the door open for potential collaborations. However, with both companies now focusing on other projects, it may be some time before we see any further developments in bringing the Grand Theft Auto universe to virtual reality.
As the VR gaming industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how Meta will adapt its strategy to overcome the challenges it faces in this competitive and rapidly changing market.
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| Enthusiasts engage in conversation about the highly anticipated, yet now indefinitely postponed, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas VR project |