Community developer gebdag has released a mod titled GTA2 RTX Remix, utilizing Nvidia’s toolkit to modernize Grand Theft Auto 2, a top-down urban action game originally launched in 1999. The project bridges the outdated DirectDraw and early Direct3D graphics interfaces of the 27-year-old game with modern hardware by routing through Nvidia’s RTX Remix platform.
Bridging 1999 Code with Nvidia RTX Remix
The original Grand Theft Auto 2 relied on graphics APIs that modern platforms no longer support natively. Because Nvidia RTX Remix requires Direct3D 9, the developer programmed a custom rendering layer comprising a pair of libraries, identified as gta2dx9.dll and gta2dx9_vid.dll. This custom layer acts as a real-time translator, converting the vintage game’s graphics instructions into a format the modern toolset can process.
Path Tracing and Dynamic Lighting in Anywhere City
The primary upgrade delivered by the modification is full path tracing, which radically alters the visual presentation of Anywhere City. Explosions, neon signs, and burning vehicle wrecks function as active light sources, casting illumination and reflections onto surrounding surfaces. Players can adjust lighting parameters directly inside the game by pressing the F4 key to open a dedicated menu.
Technical Enhancements and 60 FPS Support
Beyond lighting upgrades, the mod addresses several technical constraints inherent to the 1999 release. The default 4:3 aspect ratio is replaced with full 16:9 widescreen support, while pop-in artifacts affecting vehicles and pedestrians near screen edges have been corrected. Frame generation technology pushes the game's fluidity to 60 FPS. The open-source project is hosted on GitHub and requires a 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 operating system, RTX Remix runtime files, and a copy of the base game. The author optimized the modification specifically for version 9.6, a build Rockstar Games distributed for free in 2004.
Required software and rendering technology for the mod
What software is required to run the GTA2 RTX Remix mod?
Players need a 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 operating system, RTX Remix runtime files, and the original game. The developer specifically optimized the files for version 9.6 of Grand Theft Auto 2.
How does the modification achieve modern lighting on an old engine?
The developer created a custom rendering layer using two libraries, gta2dx9.dll and gta2dx9_vid.dll, which translate the original DirectDraw and Direct3D instructions into formats compatible with Nvidia’s Direct3D 9-based RTX Remix platform.
Can players adjust the lighting effects while playing?
Yes. Pressing the F4 key in-game opens a menu that allows users to modify lighting parameters in real time.