Leaked GTA San Andreas source code reveals surprising behind-the-scenes details
The source code of the iconic GTA: San Andreas has leaked online. It reveals interesting information about, among other things, the mechanics tested by Rockstar, which ultimately didn't make it into the game's final version.
GTA: San Andreas is one of the most popular installments of the gangster series from Rockstar Games studio. There is still a community dedicated to this game that creates mods and enjoys playing in fan-made multiplayer modes. These players might find new discoveries about the 20-year-old San Andreas, such as a leak of the game's source code, far more intriguing than the latest rumors about the upcoming GTA 6.
Recently fans of the title with CJ as the main character have been busy tracking its code lines. The code leaked online - probably due to a user using the pseudonym "John Doe," the same person who was responsible for sharing the code of GTA: Vice City and GTA: Liberty City Stories. Thanks to this, we learned a few new things about Rockstar studio's original plans for San Andreas, which were ultimately not realized.
The most intriguing details found by fans from the game's shared source code involve a complete multiplayer mode (possibly remnants of which were the co-op mode, available only on PS2 and the original Xbox) and the so-called ragdoll system. As we know, none of these ambitious elements ultimately made it to SA, and they could have further diversified the game—especially the ragdoll system, which is based on realistically simulating physics and affects character animations.
In addition to this, the source code lines reveal that Rockstar intended to introduce to the game:
- first-person mode (abandoned due to technical issues),
- the skateboarding mechanics,
- a code named "Jimmy Bond," which would turn all the cars on the map into underwater vehicles,
- camera shakes while running,
- "flash bang" effect (probably related to stun grenades),
- different types of surfaces affecting car driving, including ice, oil, or wet asphalt,
- oil puddles that would form as a result of car damage.
Besides, the discussed files contain comments from the developers of GTA: San Andreas themselves regarding their work on specific systems, which... are quite uncensored. The comments concern, among others, the aforementioned mechanics of the spreading oil.
Undoubtedly, the source code leak is not only an interesting fact for San Andreas fans but also a boon for modders, who continue to release projects for the game. Thanks to it, they will be able to add some of the content abandoned by Rockstar studio themselves.
