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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →No. Rockstar rejected the rumor that Grand Theft Auto III originally featured the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, later replaced by a construction site. The company said the game was about 1% different after September 11, 2001, with one mission removed and a few limited changes—not a major redesign of Liberty City.
Where the Twin Towers rumor came from
The claim is that Liberty City once had twin skyscrapers that were turned into a construction site after the September 11 attacks. Rockstar addressed that specific rumor in its 2011 anniversary Q&A, calling it—and other claims of sweeping changes—“nonsense.” The available accounts do not establish that the World Trade Center towers appeared in GTA III or were deleted from it.
That distinction matters: Rockstar’s retrospective statements are evidence of what the company said about development, not an independent inspection of every early prototype or development asset. The game’s setting is fictional Liberty City; Dan Houser said the early concept for its city was deliberately generic rather than a direct recreation of New York. Rockstar’s anniversary Q&A and Houser’s IGN interview do not support the claim that the towers were a cut feature.
What Rockstar said changed after September 11
In its 2011 Q&A, Rockstar estimated that GTA III was “About 1% different” after the attacks. The company said it removed one mission that referenced terrorists and made a few other changes: car details, some pedestrian comments and lines of radio dialogue. It also said the US packaging was redesigned because the earlier cover felt too raw after the attacks. Rockstar said the game was released 41 days after September 11.
#1 Best Overall
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
That 1% figure is Rockstar’s own retrospective estimate, not a measured comparison of versions. The company’s specific examples describe targeted adjustments, not evidence of a citywide building replacement.
What happened to the plane and other details
Houser recalled that the game included a non-interactive jumbo jet as background activity. Its flight path was adjusted so it would not appear to pass through or behind a building. He also recalled changing some talk-radio lines and redesigning the US box art. These changes help explain why September 11 affected the finished game, but they are separate from the Twin Towers rumor.
Rank #2
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
A contemporaneous account also reported that police-car colors were changed so the vehicles would not be identical to NYPD cars. It reported that the planned October 3, 2001 release was delayed by three weeks. Houser described practical disruption as part of the circumstances: roadblocks kept Rockstar’s New York staff from entering their office for five days. The delay should not be described as being solely for content revisions. The 2011 Steam News report reproduces remarks attributed to Houser.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the rumor is not proof of a deleted feature
Rockstar said the short time between September 11 and the game’s release made the more extreme claims impossible. The documented changes—a mission, selected dialogue and cosmetic details, the plane’s route, and US packaging—are specific. They do not substantiate a claim that the Twin Towers were present in an earlier version and replaced with a construction site.
Rank #3
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s. CJ’s got to go home - his mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart, and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.
The careful conclusion is that Rockstar denied the rumor and its retrospective account points to limited changes. Without independent evidence from early builds or development assets, it is not possible to make a broader claim about every prototype; there is no basis in these sources for presenting the towers as a confirmed deleted feature.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
Rank #4
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
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