Grand Theft Auto IV beta files surface after Xbox 360 dev kit is found at a Scottish flea market
The files show abandoned ideas ranging from ferries in Liberty City to unused weapons and radio stations.
GTA IV was released nearly 18 years ago, and as surprising as it sounds, there is still a lot to know about this game. It appears that new files related to its development have recently surfaced, showing discarded weapons, vehicles and more. A user in Scotland claims to have purchased an Xbox 360 development kit for just £5 at an Edinburgh flea market, which reportedly contains a beta version of Niko Bellic’s adventure in Liberty City.
The information comes from GTA Forums, where the user jammatant shared content from the kit, including photos of the development console, which features a Rockstar North sticker. The legitimacy of the kit has already been confirmed by former Rockstar employee Obbe Vermeij, who stated on social media that the assets are genuine.
The ferries were cut late on. They were supposed to be moving back and forth kinda like a train. We figured there would be too many issues with it. Mostly the collision and AI of peds and vehicles sitting on top of another vehicle. We ditched them even though they were in the…
— Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) March 29, 2026
Among the 120 GB of assets is a large amount of content that continued to be worked on up until the game’s final release, as well as material that was ultimately cut. This includes weapons, vehicles, beta-stage cutscenes, and even a zombie mode, which was likely an internal experiment by one of the developers. Other discoveries reveal that Rockstar originally planned weapon and health icons very similar to those in previous entries, featuring floating symbols. New radio stations were also found, complete with DJ lines that never made it into the final game. Additionally, evidence suggests that Liberty City once had ferries, which would have allowed players to travel between islands.
GTA IV, one of the most anticipated titles
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Nearly 18 years later, it’s important to remember the impact this game had. Its first trailer was so highly anticipated that it not only crashed YouTube but also gave rise to the Rickroll meme. The game was very well received and eventually included additional story content, giving players the chance to explore Liberty City from different perspectives—a concept that would later become a cornerstone of Grand Theft Auto V.
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