Grand Theft Auto 3

A fresh rating by the Australian Classification Board for Grand Theft Auto III has led to speculation that the game could be coming to Nintendo Switch.

Originally released on PlayStation 2 in 2001, GTA III took the series into the realm of 3D and has been hailed as a critical and commercial smash ever since.

The new rating could potentially mean a Switch version is inbound, but it could equally relate to a version for Google's Stadia platform.

It's also worth noting, as pointed out by Videogamer.com, that GTA III has had a rather bumpy relationship with the rating board Down Under. Shortly after launch, the Office of Film and Literature Classification decided to ban the game due to its sexual content and violence. Take-Two Interactive was forced to make changes in order to re-release the game in Australia; a version with a MA15+ was released in 2002.

So, another theory is that this classification relates to a new edition of the game for Australian audiences with all of the mature themes reinstated. It could also be a remake or reboot to mark the game's 18th birthday, but the fact that it has already been remastered in HD on the PS4 makes that seem unlikely.

However, we're sticking with the 'GTA on Switch' angle, because it's the most exciting one.

[source videogamer.com, via twitter.com, classification.gov.au]