When did GTA San Andreas come out? A brief history of one of the best games by Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one of the most popular and influential titles in the GTA series. The game is set in the fictional state of San Andreas, which includes Los Santos, Los Venturas, San Fiero, and many other small towns. It has Carl “CJ” Johnson as the main character and tells the story of how he restores the dignity of his hood.

GTA San Andreas is nearly two decades old, but it is still playable for those who previously owned it. Rockstar Games also released a modern version of the game as a tribute to the old classic. This article takes a look at when the title was first released and its fascinating history in brief.

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A brief history of Rockstar Games’ GTA San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was first released on October 26, 2004, on the PlayStation 2. It was the seventh title in the series and the third game in the 3D Universe. The popular GTA game was developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games.

Although it was a PS2 exclusive at the time, Rockstar Games later ported it to a variety of gaming platforms. According to its official website, San Andreas is now available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, Apple Macintosh, iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle, and Windows Phone.

The gaming studio released a video titled "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction" on December 12, 2012, eight years after the game's initial release. The video is 21 minutes long and showcases the circumstances that led to the events of GTA San Andreas gameplay.

While the actual game begins with Carl "CJ" Johnson returning to Grove Street for his mother's funeral after living in Liberty City for five years, the introduction video reveals how he was doing away from home and how his mother was killed. This gave fans a new perspective on the story, and many players reportedly returned to the title to enjoy it again.

On October 8, 2021, Rockstar Games released GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition, which brought the 3D Universe title to a modern and HD era. Although the gameplay was mostly the same, the developer improved the graphics and added several quality-of-life changes to appeal to the modern generation of gamers.

It is currently the only version of the title that new players can purchase on major gaming platforms. However, smartphone gamers can still buy the original version as Rockstar Games has yet to release a mobile version of GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition.

Nonetheless, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas remains one of the most popular games, and many players regard it as the best title in the franchise to date.