GTA fans are joking that this is a sign that the re-release of GTA 4 is right around the corner.

Ten years is a lifetime in gaming, it's long enough for entire console generations to come and go, for beloved franchises to rise and fall, and for most modding projects to be forgotten entirely, which is exactly why the latest update to a decade-old Grand Theft Auto 4 mod caught everyone by surprise.

Hayssam Keilany has finally released iCEnhancer 4.0, the latest version of the legendary GTA 4 mod that last got an update way back in 2014. After transforming everything from the skybox to the way light filtered through trees, Keilany announced in 2015 that an update was coming. Ten years later and it's here.

Given the relative silence since 2015 (save for a few screenshots in 2022), most had assumed the project had quietly died, a casualty of ambitious scope and real-life responsibilities (or perhaps feeling disheartened by the latest takedowns issued by Take-Two Interactive).

The new version introduces physically-based lighting, a rendering technique that simulates how light actually behaves in the real world. It means that, thanks to the mod, in Liberty City, metal looks like metal, water reflects light naturally, and everything just feels more grounded and realistic.

The improvements go far beyond lighting. The fog system has been completely overhauled, creating atmospheric moments that rival modern open-world games.

What makes this particularly interesting is how the modding community has changed since 2014. Many modders have moved on to newer games, and GTA 4 itself is now 16 years old. For those eager to try it out, there's an important caveat: iCEnhancer 4.0 only works with game versions 1.0.3.0 and 1.0.4.0.

If you're running the latest Steam version, you'll need to downgrade. All things considered, it's a small price to pay to revisit Liberty City and play as Niko Bellic again. Of course, given the reputation Rockstar Games has when it comes to releasing remasters of Grand Theft Auto, fans couldn't help but joke that this is a sign that a re-release of the 2008 title is coming.

According to the most recent rumors, Rockstar will release an updated version of GTA 4 within the next year, perhaps before the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 on May 26, 2026.