Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 action-adventure game created by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from 2004, and the eleventh game overall. The game is set in a fictional city called Liberty City, which is based on New York City. The single-player story follows Niko Bellic, an Eastern European war veteran who tries to escape his past while dealing with powerful criminals. Players can explore Liberty City, which includes four boroughs across three islands and the nearby state of Alderney, inspired by New Jersey.
The game is played from a third-person view, and players move around on foot or in vehicles. In the single-player mode, players control Niko Bellic. The game also includes an online multiplayer mode where up to 32 players can play together or compete in a version of the game’s world. Two expansion packs, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, were later released. These packs add new stories connected to the main game and follow different characters.
Development of Grand Theft Auto IV started soon after San Andreas was released and involved Rockstar’s studios worldwide. The game had a more realistic look and feel compared to earlier games in the series. Unlike previous games, it did not focus heavily on movies or films, as the team wanted to create an original story. To design the open world, the developers studied New York City, taking over 100,000 photos and hours of video. They believed the world was the most important part of the game. Though not the largest map in the series, its detail and vertical design made it feel large. The game cost over $100 million to make, making it one of the most expensive video games ever.
Grand Theft Auto IV was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2008 and for Windows in December. It received high praise for its story and open-world design. The game broke sales records, selling $310 million in its first day and $500 million in its first week. It is considered one of the most important games of the seventh generation of video games and is often called one of the greatest games of all time. It won awards, including Game of the Year from several publications, and sold over 25 million copies by 2013. The game faced criticism for showing violence and allowing players to drive while drunk. Its next game, Grand Theft Auto V, was released in 2013.
Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto IV is an action-adventure game viewed from a third-person angle. Players complete missions—tasks with specific goals—to advance through the story. Multiple missions can be active at once, as some require waiting for instructions or events. Outside of missions, players can explore the game’s open world and complete optional side tasks. The game world is set in the fictional city of Liberty City, which is larger than earlier Grand Theft Auto games. At the start, players can only explore limited areas—Bohan, Broker, and Dukes—with other islands becoming accessible as the story progresses.
Players use melee attacks, guns, and explosives to fight enemies. They can run, jump, swim, or use vehicles to move around. A first-person view is available when using vehicles. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system help players defend against enemies. If players lose health, they can restore it by eating, drinking, using medical kits, or calling paramedics. Committing crimes increases a "wanted" meter on the screen, shown as stars. More stars mean stronger police pursuit and a larger search area, up to six stars. Players can avoid police by leaving the search area, which causes the meter to cool down. Police will eventually stop searching once players are out of sight.
The cover system lets players move between obstacles to fire at enemies or aim precisely. Players can target specific body parts. Melee attacks include moves like dodging, blocking, and countering. Body armor can block gunshots and explosions but wears out over time. If health is completely lost, gameplay stops, and players respawn at the nearest hospital.
In single-player mode, players control Niko Bellic, an Eastern European war veteran. During the story, Niko meets and befriends other characters. While exploring, players can do activities like bowling or darts alone or with friends. Other options include a vigilante mini-game and watching in-game TV. Spending time with friends or completing their missions increases their respect. High respect unlocks favors, such as free taxi rides from Niko’s cousin Roman. Cabs are always available for quick travel. Players also face choices that change the story based on their decisions. Niko uses a cell phone to contact friends, access online multiplayer, or enter cheat codes. Internet cafés allow Niko to send emails or set up dates with potential girlfriends. The game includes a subway system for fast travel.
In online multiplayer mode, up to 32 players can explore the map freely. Players choose game modes like deathmatches or races, with both cooperative and competitive options available. Players earn in-game money to level up. A "Free Mode" lets players explore the map without goals or missions. Hosts can adjust settings like police presence, traffic, and weapons. The multiplayer mode was no longer available on Windows after 2020.
Synopsis
Grand Theft Auto IV is set in a fictional version of Liberty City, which is inspired by New York City. The city includes four areas based on real places: Broker (like Brooklyn), Dukes (like Queens), Bohan (like the Bronx), and Algonquin (like Manhattan). The story also includes Alderney, a neighboring area modeled after New Jersey. In the game, bridges between areas are blocked because of a terrorist threat. Players are chased by police if they try to cross the bridges. As the story progresses, these barriers are removed, allowing players to move freely between areas.
Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in the fictional "HD Universe," which is a version of the real world. Previous games in the series had their own fictional worlds, but they are considered separate from the HD Universe. This means the version of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV is different from earlier games. The HD Universe includes Grand Theft Auto IV, its expansion packs (The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony), its sequel (Grand Theft Auto V), and its online version (Grand Theft Auto Online). The handheld game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is also part of the HD Universe because it shares the same map as Grand Theft Auto IV, except for Alderney.
Niko Bellic, a former soldier from Eastern Europe, arrives in Liberty City on a ship called the Platypus. He wants to escape his past, find success in America, and locate a man who betrayed his unit years earlier. After reuniting with his cousin, Roman, Niko learns that Roman's life is far from the wealth and luxury he expected. Roman lives in a small, dirty apartment, owns a struggling taxi business, and has debts to loan sharks. Niko helps Roman with his problems and meets people like Little Jacob, a member of the Yardies, and Vlad Glebov, a Russian loan shark who owes Roman money. Niko kills Vlad after learning he slept with Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie.
In retaliation, Russian mobsters kidnap Niko and Roman on orders from their boss, Mikhail Faustin, and his lieutenant, Dimitri Rascalov. Faustin ignores Vlad's death and hires Niko as a hitman, asking him to kill the son of a Russian crime lord. When the crime lord threatens revenge, Dimitri convinces Niko to kill Faustin. After completing the task, Dimitri betrays Niko and takes him to Ray Bulgarin, who accuses Niko of stealing from him during a past crime. A fight breaks out, and Dimitri and Bulgarin escape.
Dimitri's men burn down Niko and Roman's apartment and taxi business, forcing them to flee to Bohan. Niko finds work with local drug lords, while Dimitri briefly kidnaps Roman to lure Niko into a trap. Later, Niko learns that Michelle, a woman he is interested in, is an undercover government agent who tricks him into working for her. In exchange for killing suspected terrorists, the agent helps Niko clear his criminal record and search for the man who betrayed him. Roman uses insurance money from the fire to rebuild his business and buy an apartment in Algonquin. He also proposes to Mallorie, who accepts.
While working with the Irish Mob, Niko befriends Patrick "Packie" McReary, helping him and his brothers with jobs, including a bank robbery. Niko is later hired by Ray Boccino, a leader in the Pegorino crime family, to oversee a diamond deal that goes wrong. Boccino helps Niko find his former comrade, Florian Cravic, who claims he was not the traitor. Niko discovers the real traitor was Darko Brevic, the only other survivor from his unit. Niko continues working with the Mafia and earns the trust of Don Jimmy Pegorino, who orders him to kill Boccino after suspecting him of being a police informant. Niko also helps Packie kidnap the daughter of Don Giovanni Ancelotti to ransom her for diamonds, but Bulgarin interrupts the exchange, causing the diamonds to be lost.
Government agents later find Darko in Romania and bring him to Liberty City for Niko to decide his fate. Pegorino then asks Niko to help with a major heroin deal involving Dimitri. Niko must choose between working with Dimitri or seeking revenge. If Niko agrees to the deal, Dimitri betrays him again, kills Pegorino, and sends an assassin to kill Niko at Roman's wedding. The assassin accidentally kills Roman instead, and Niko kills Dimitri in retaliation. If Niko chooses revenge, he kills Dimitri first, leading Pegorino to target Niko at Roman's wedding. Pegorino accidentally kills Packie's sister, Kate, whom Niko had been dating. Niko then kills Pegorino. In both endings, Niko learns that Mallorie is pregnant.
Development
Preliminary work on Grand Theft Auto IV began in November 2004, one month after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar president Sam Houser said creating a follow-up to San Andreas was "a nightmare." Rockstar North, the main team of 220 people working on the game, used other Rockstar Games studios to help with development. This allowed over 1,000 people to work on the game, including 50 at Rockstar NYC, 40 at Rockstar Lincoln, 10 at Rockstar San Diego, and 600–700 part-time workers. Some team members worked 12-hour days without holidays. The team decided to continue the numbering system used in Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999) and Grand Theft Auto III (2001) to show the same big jump in production. Development ended on April 21, 2008, when the game was sent to be made. Producer Leslie Benzies said the game cost more than $100 million, making it one of the most expensive video games ever made.
The game’s setting, Liberty City, is based on New York City. The team did not use earlier versions of Liberty City as inspiration. They wanted to keep the general feel of the city but not copy specific details. The map is about three times the size of Grand Theft Auto III’s. The developers first thought about using all of New York state, then narrowed it to Manhattan, and later expanded again. They considered adding more suburbs with forests and often voted on which areas to include. Art director Aaron Garbut said the team chose New York because of its detail and variety, calling it "an amazing, diverse, vibrant, cinematic city." Writer Dan Houser said the team wanted to work in a place they could research well, as Rockstar Games’ headquarters are in New York. They avoided copying New York exactly to make the game more fun, choosing areas that best showed the city’s character. Garbut wanted to create a version of the city that people would recognize from movies or books but did not need to know exactly. The city was designed first, and missions were added later.
To make the environment realistic, 60–70 Rockstar North employees traveled to New York for research. They went in March or April 2005 for about 1.5 weeks and again in 2007. Police officers drove the team around Washington Heights. A research team in New York handled requests, like information about neighborhoods or traffic videos. Videos of New York were shown on televisions in Rockstar North offices so workers could see the city while working. Benzies said the team took over 100,000 photos in New York, while Garbut estimated about 250,000. They studied apartment blueprints, used satellite images to plan city blocks, researched car sales data, and read books about New York’s infrastructure, including subways, sewers, and garbage systems. Hove Beach is based on Brighton Beach, which Sam Houser found "pretty incredible." The name combines the English cities Brighton and Hove. Houser appreciated that Brighton Beach had many Eastern Europeans, which fit the game’s characters.
Dan Houser said Liberty City is "the biggest character" in the game. The version of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV is more detailed and larger than most earlier games in the series. Though smaller than San Andreas, the team said it was comparable in scope because of its verticality, number of buildings, and detail. The team wanted fewer empty spaces, like the deserts in San Andreas, and a more focused experience. Dan Houser said the limited activities in New York helped this. The addition of Niko’s mobile phone made the world feel more real, showing how society now uses phones. In-game brands and products were designed over several years, with billboards added six months before the game’s release.
The game’s script, written by Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries, is about 1,000 pages long. Around 660 actors provided voices for 80,000 lines of dialogue. After creating the character and setting, Dan Houser discussed story ideas with his brother Sam Houser and Leslie Benzies before writing a six-page synopsis. Once the synopsis was revised, the team broke it into missions using a large flow document. Writers focused on mission introductions first, and gameplay dialogue came later. Unlike earlier games, Grand Theft Auto IV does not copy movies or other media. Dan Houser said the team wanted something "fresh and new" instead of copying other works. He said the writing quality needed to improve with better graphics and technology. Slower cutscenes were possible because of better facial animation. Unique dialogue played when missions were retried to avoid making the game feel "canned" or repetitive.
Dan Houser described Niko Bellic as "a more rounded character" than those in previous games. He said Niko’s mix of saving people and being a "cold-hearted killer" made him more relatable. Niko’s unfamiliarity with Liberty City helped players connect with him, as he was driven by his past and his relationship with Roman. The team decided Niko was an immigrant because it created more dangerous and fun missions. Dan Houser said real dangerous people are not born in America. He said Niko’s outsider view of American culture was "fun." The team wanted Niko to be an "antihero," capable of good actions in a criminal world. His personality showed the weight of his past and choices.
Niko’s design changed a few times but was finalized early in development. His outfit was based on photos of men in Eastern Europe, like those in winter wars in Yugoslavia and Chechnya. The main goal was to create a face that could show emotions and a body that could move well with new animations. In-game outfits were designed to match Niko’s character. The team made sure the player’s choices in the game made sense for Niko, who was driven by others. Dan Houser said the missions in San Andreas were too linear, so he wanted more choices in Grand Theft Auto IV.
The writers needed a reason for Niko to come to America, so they created his cousin, Roman. Dan Houser said the two could not be brothers because…
Release
Microsoft's Peter Moore introduced Grand Theft Auto IV at E3 2006 by showing a temporary tattoo of the game's logo on his arm. The game became highly expected. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggested Take-Two might delay the game's original release date of 16 October 2007 to improve 2008 financial results and avoid competing with games like Halo 3. Rockstar Games said the game would still release in "late October." In August 2007, Take-Two announced the game would be delayed until the second fiscal quarter of 2008 (February–April), citing technical problems with the PlayStation 3 version. IGN predicted the delay might help other publishers, especially Activision with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. On 24 January 2008, Rockstar announced the game would release on 29 April. Some gameplay features were censored in Australian and New Zealand versions, but the restrictions were later removed. Capcom released the game in Japan on 30 October 2008.
In August 2008, Rockstar announced the game would come to Windows on 18 November 2008 in North America and 21 November in Europe, with additional work by Rockstar Toronto. Microsoft partnered with Rockstar in a $50 million deal to create two downloadable content packs for the Xbox 360: The Lost and Damned on 17 February 2009, and The Ballad of Gay Tony on 29 October 2009. Dan Houser wanted the episodes to show "a different side of Liberty City." In January 2010, Rockstar announced the DLC would be bundled as Episodes from Liberty City, released for PlayStation 3 and Windows on 13 April 2010 in North America and 16 April in Europe. The bundle was also included in The Complete Edition, released on 26 October 2010 in North America and 29 October in Europe. The Xbox 360 version of the game and its DLC became compatible with the Xbox One on 9 February 2017. In 2026, a beta build from 2007 was found at a car boot sale in Edinburgh for £5. The files were shared online, revealing unfinished, alternative, and cut content.
Industry analysts noted that Grand Theft Auto IV's marketing was more subtle than Microsoft's marketing for Halo 3 (2007), showing Rockstar's focus on controlling all promotional efforts. The debut trailer was released on 29 March 2007. Narrated by Niko, it showed the open world with the song "Pruit-Igoe" by Philip Glass, originally from the documentary Koyaanisqatsi (1982). The trailer is credited with starting the Rickrolling meme; after high viewership crashed Rockstar's website, some users shared the trailer but mistakenly linked it to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." The second trailer, released on 28 June, showcased the physics engine and featured "Arm in Arm (Shy Child Remix)" by the Boggs. Dan Houser said the game was "still rough" when the first trailer was released but that cutscenes were improving by the second trailer.
To reveal the game's cover art, Rockstar hired artists to paint a mural on a wall at a secluded warehouse, shown in a video on 28 November 2007. A third trailer, released on 6 December, introduced characters like Roman and Michelle, featuring the song "King Ring" by Russian rapper Seryoga, which Rockstar felt reflected Liberty City's "melting pot mentality." Dan Houser wanted the third trailer to highlight the game's "visceral qualities" without focusing on the story, unlike the first two trailers. On 8 February 2008, five teaser trailers were released, each showing a character or service in the game. Similar trailers were later released in pairs on 21 February, 7 March, and 11 April. Another trailer on 27 March showed scenes like a bank robbery and police chase. A GameStop television commercial debuted on 1 April, focusing on activities in Liberty City.
Viral marketing was used to promote the game. Wanted posters were placed around New York City to advertise the game's characters and website; billboard versions were also displayed. Murals and posters were placed on buildings and public transport. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) removed game advertisements from their property in April 2008; Take-Two sued, claiming the CTA broke a contract. Visitors to the website of WKTT Talk Radio—a fictional radio station in the game—could leave voice mail messages about their problems. Callers were asked to read terms and conditions before recording, which revealed some messages might be used in the game.
In the month before launch, Rockstar and GameStop held a competition offering up to $10,000 and a trip to New York City for the game's launch event. Microsoft held a similar sweepstakes, offering consoles, games, Microsoft Points, a baseball bat, and an invitation to the launch event. The official Grand Theft Auto IV website was redesigned on 8 February 2008 to preview activities and locations in the game's world. To encourage pre-orders, Rockstar partnered with retailers to release a special edition of the game, including a metal safe deposit box, an art book, and a soundtrack CD. The publisher also worked with Sony to release a 40 GB PlayStation 3 console with a copy of the game. GameStop hosted midnight launch events at over 3,500 American stores, offering contests and giveaways.
Reception
Grand Theft Auto IV received high praise from critics, according to Metacritic. It is the second most highly rated game on the site and the highest rated game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Reviewers liked the story, open world design, and combat system. Hilary Goldstein of IGN said the game "sets a new standard for open-world games," and Andrew Reiner of Game Informer wrote that the game "completely changes the way games are played."
Reviewers praised the open world design, with some noting the freedom it gives players. Seth Schiesel of The New York Times called the city the "real star" of the game. Jon Hicks of Official Xbox Magazine said the city was impressive, partly because of the game's artificial intelligence. Robinson of Computer and Video Games thought the environment felt realistic and called it "utterly unmatched." Goldstein of IGN said that although Liberty City is inspired by New York, it is not based on it. He wrote that the city "exists in its own universe and rightfully so." Crispin Boyer of 1UP.com praised the city's "breathtaking views, varied scenery, and realistic look." Jesse Costantino of GameRevolution said the game lacked some features common in other open-world games.
Reviewers liked the story. IGN's Goldstein said the darker tone of the story was different from earlier games in the series. Hicks of Official Xbox Magazine was surprised by how deep the story was. Reiner of Game Informer said the freedom in the game helped him enjoy the story. The choices players made about morality were also welcomed. Boyer of 1UP.com said these choices added "replayability" to the game. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer thought the morality choices were a good replacement for "bosses with large health bars."
The game's characters, especially Niko, were praised by critics. Hicks of Official Xbox Magazine and Andy Robinson of Computer and Video Games called Niko "charismatic" and "likeable," saying they preferred him over earlier characters in the series. George Walter of GamesRadar praised the depth of Niko's character, and Goldstein of IGN said Niko felt relatable when making tough decisions. Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb said Niko was "the only thing that mattered" to him during the story and one of his favorite parts of the game. Schiesel of The New York Times called Niko one of the most well-developed video game characters, partly because of the game's script. Boyer of 1UP.com said the game's use of character bonding during missions was impressive.
Many reviewers said the combat system was more responsive than in earlier games, especially the cover system. Justin Calvert of GameSpot said the cover system made combat a "huge improvement" over previous games. Reiner of Game Informer agreed, saying the targeting system made players feel responsible for all deaths. Goldstein of IGN praised the smoothness of the cover system and said the auto aim feature helped in large battles. Walter of GamesRadar said the cover system created a "new style of mission." David McComb of Empire called the combat "sharp and instinctive," and Hicks of Official Xbox Magazine said the cover system let players plan attacks. Most reviewers also noted that vehicle handling felt more realistic than in earlier games. Robinson of Computer and Video Games said the vehicle handling felt realistic, and Hicks of Official Xbox Magazine called the variety of vehicles "excellent." Costantino of GameRevolution praised the improvements in the game's mechanics, especially the physics engine's advanced animations for vehicles and characters.
Reviewers liked the sound design. Goldstein of IGN praised the actors' performances and the use of licensed music. Calvert of GameSpot and Walter of GamesRadar also liked the licensed music, with Walter noting the humor of the radio stations. Michael Pinson of The Pro Audio Files praised the sound design's features, including the city's atmosphere, music, dialogue, and sound effects, and said the developer did a good job combining them. Carolyn Gudmundson of GamesRadar later praised the soundtrack, saying it fit the game's setting well.
The online multiplayer mode was praised by critics. Reiner of Game Informer liked the character customization in multiplayer and said it ran as smoothly as the single-player game. Boyer of 1UP.com called the multiplayer modes "excellent," and Goldstein of IGN said it was one of the best. Hicks of Official Xbox Magazine called multiplayer "hugely entertaining," and Walter of GamesRadar praised the "seamless" way to join a match. Gerstmann of Giant Bomb and Costantino of GameRevolution had mixed opinions, with Costantino calling it a "fantastic idea" but saying connectivity problems made the experience "broken."
The Windows version received high praise from Metacritic. Reviewers liked the improved visuals and added features but said the port was not as good as the console versions.
The in-game features added in the Windows version were well received. The Video Editor was praised; Calvert of GameSpot called it "a great way to get creative," while Kieron Gillen of Eurogamer said its timing was unpredictable. Critics also liked the customizable radio station, which lets players choose their own music. Tom Chick of 1UP.com called it the best feature of the port, and Steven Hopper of GameZone said it was a "great touch." The port's upgrade to 32 concurrent players in multiplayer, compared to 16 on consoles, was also praised. Gillen of Eurogamer said the increase "adds more chaos," and Will Tuttle of GameSpy said the player increase "changes the action significantly."
The improved visuals in the Windows version were praised by many reviewers. Hopper of GameZone said the visuals were better than the original versions. Andy Robinson of Computer and Video Games called the visuals "impressive," and Tom Orry of VideoGamer.com called them "superb." However, the port's system requirements, which were difficult to meet with advanced settings, were criticized. Gillen of Eurogamer said the Windows version is "the most attractive version" but "annoyingly complicated to run." Tuttle of GameSpy said the high system requirements were worth overlooking for the game's other features.
Grand Theft Auto IV won awards from several critics and publications. It received Game of the Year awards from Digital Spy, the Entertainment Merchants Association, GameTrailers, Giant Bomb, IGN Australia, Kotaku, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Time. The game had eight nominations at the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards and won three awards, tying with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots: Game of the Year, Best Action Adventure Game, and Best Performance by a Human Male for Michael Hollick's role as Niko. The following year, The Ballad of Gay Tony won Best DLC.
Grand Theft Auto IV was nominated for three awards at the 9th Game Developers Choice Awards, including Game of the Year, four at the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, including Overall Game of the Year, and seven at the 5th British Academy Games Awards, tying with Modern Warfare for the most.
Sales
Within 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto IV sold over 3.6 million copies, meaning about $310 million in revenue. In one week, the game earned more than $500 million worldwide, which was about 6 million copies sold by Take Two. These numbers were higher than what experts predicted for the game. After one month, the game had sold over 8.5 million copies. On May 13, 2008, it broke three Guinness World Records: highest revenue from a video game in 24 hours, highest revenue from any entertainment product in 24 hours, and fastest-selling video game in 24 hours. On March 11, 2011, Take-Two announced that the game had sold over 20 million copies, and the entire Grand Theft Auto series had sold more than 100 million copies combined. By July 2013, the game had sold over 25 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games and one of the best-selling games on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. All sales records set by Grand Theft Auto IV were later broken by its next game, Grand Theft Auto V.
In the United Kingdom, the game became the fastest-selling game of all time, selling over 631,000 copies in 24 hours. This beat the previous record held by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which sold 501,000 copies in the same time. In the first five days of its release, the game sold over 927,000 copies in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Grand Theft Auto IV sold 2.85 million copies in its first five days. By the end of 2008, the game had sold over 5.18 million copies in the U.S. In Japan, during its first four days of release, the game sold 133,000 copies on PlayStation 3 and 34,000 copies on Xbox 360, according to Media Create. In its first week, the Windows version of Grand Theft Auto IV reached seventh place on the weekly charts; by the second week, it was no longer in the top ten. Based on the number of unique players, the game was the most played Games for Windows – Live game in 2009 and 2012, and the second-most played in 2011.
Controversies
In 2007, Jack Thompson, a lawyer from Florida who had previously criticized the Grand Theft Auto series, said he would try to stop the sale of Grand Theft Auto IV to young people. On March 14, Take-Two, the company that made the game, filed a lawsuit to stop Thompson from banning the game. Thompson then filed a counter-suit, accusing Take-Two of breaking federal laws, lying in court, and trying to take away his rights. On April 20, both sides agreed to stop their lawsuits. Thompson was not allowed to sue to stop the sale of Take-Two’s games, but he could still work as a lawyer in other cases. Take-Two agreed to stop its lawsuit against Thompson about his behavior during court hearings for Bully (2006).
On September 18, 2007, Thompson sent a document to a Florida federal court, saying that a character in Grand Theft Auto IV who is targeted for assassination is based on himself. He threatened to take action to stop the game’s release unless the character was changed. In April 2008, Thompson wrote a letter to the mother of Take-Two’s chairman, Strauss Zelnick. He called the game a "murder simulator" and criticized Zelnick’s upbringing, comparing his Boy Scout experience to the Hitler Youth. Thompson later said he sent the letter to Zelnick’s lawyer as a parody to make Zelnick feel ashamed.
After the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV was released in March 2007, New York City officials criticized the game for using the city as inspiration for its fictional setting, Liberty City. Peter Vallone Jr., head of the public safety committee, said the choice was like "setting Halo in Disneyland." Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly called it "despicable" to glorify violence in games like this. A mayor’s spokesperson said the mayor does not support games where players earn points for harming or killing police officers. Jason Della Rocca, head of the International Game Developers Association, said city officials were being unfair by criticizing games but not addressing similar issues in books, films, or TV shows set in New York.
In April 2008, the non-profit group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) criticized the game’s ability to let players drive while drunk. MADD asked the Entertainment Software Rating Board to change the game’s rating to "Adults Only," which would stop it from being sold. They also asked Take-Two and Rockstar to stop selling the game out of respect for victims of drunk driving. Rockstar said it respected MADD’s work but believed the game’s audience was mature enough to understand its content, adding that the game should not be judged based on one part of it.
In May 2008, conservative radio host Glenn Beck used Grand Theft Auto IV as an example of how violent video games might "train kids to be killers." He wrongly claimed players could attack police officers with a chainsaw. David Oxford from Kombo corrected him, saying the game is not aimed at children. Beck also said games like Grand Theft Auto IV were making militaries more violent. James Stephanie Sterling from Destructoid responded that wars have always been violent, even before video games existed. Robinson from Computer and Video Games compared Beck’s comments to the game’s satirical radio shows.
Dan Houser, a writer for the game, said in May 2008, "There is nothing in the game you would not see in a TV show or a movie a hundred times over. We wanted to make games that feel like they could exist alongside the movies and books we enjoy."
In June 2008, six teenagers arrested for robbery in New Hyde Park, New York, said they were inspired by Grand Theft Auto IV, according to police. In August 2008, an 18-year-old in Bangkok was arrested for killing a taxi driver after trying to rob the vehicle. Police said the student thought robbing a taxi would be as easy in real life as it was in the game. The game was later banned in Thailand. In August 2013, an 87-year-old woman named Marie Smothers was killed in Louisiana when her 8-year-old grandson shot her with a handgun after playing Grand Theft Auto IV. Under state law, the boy could not be charged for her death because he was too young.