A new Grand Theft Auto modding project has placed GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas inside a single running game, allowing players to switch between all three protagonists without closing the host application.
The project was created by modder Dryxio, who integrated the reverse engineered re3 and reVC engines into the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The result allows GTA III and Vice City to operate as separate engine instances while San Andreas continues running in the background.
Players can move between Claude, Tommy Vercetti, and CJ while each game preserves its own mission progress, settings, logic, and save data. The three worlds remain independent, but they are all active within the same overall process.
The project does not merge the maps or stories into one continuous campaign. Instead, it places multiple complete game engines inside San Andreas and allows control to shift between them in real time.
Each game keeps its own progress and systems
The technical achievement comes from keeping the three games separate while allowing them to run together.
GTA III and Vice City use the re3 and reVC projects, which are reverse engineered versions of their original engines. San Andreas acts as the host process where the additional engines operate.
| Game | Main character | Role in the project |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto III | Claude | Runs through the re3 engine |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Tommy Vercetti | Runs through the reVC engine |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | CJ | Serves as the host game |
| Combined setup | All three protagonists | Allows seamless control switching |
Each title retains its original rules and state. Missions completed in GTA III do not affect Vice City, while changes to San Andreas remain inside its own world.
Save files are also kept separate, reducing the risk of progress from one game interfering with another.
This makes the project closer to running several virtual games inside one application than creating a conventional trilogy collection.
Players can switch between CJ, Claude, and Tommy
One of the most impressive features is the ability to change control without shutting down one game and launching another.
The modder can move from CJ in San Andreas to Claude in GTA III or Tommy in Vice City while the other engine instances remain active.
The host world continues simulating during the switch. This means San Andreas does not simply pause and disappear when another game becomes active.
The demonstration creates an unusual layered experience where one Grand Theft Auto game effectively contains two others.
It also highlights how flexible the original PC releases have become through years of reverse engineering and community development.
The project relies on reverse engineered engines
The re3 and reVC projects were created to reproduce the behaviour of GTA III and Vice City through independently developed code.
These engines have supported improvements such as modern platform compatibility, bug fixes, and greater control for modders. In this project, they provide the foundation needed to run both games inside another Rockstar title.
| Technical component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| re3 | Recreates the GTA III engine |
| reVC | Recreates the Vice City engine |
| San Andreas process | Hosts all three games |
| Separate engine instances | Preserve individual game logic |
| Independent save systems | Keep progress from mixing |
| Real time switching | Changes the active protagonist |
Running several engines together creates challenges involving memory, input handling, graphics, audio, and system stability.
The mod must ensure that each game receives the correct commands while preventing one engine from interfering with another.
It is more than a standard trilogy launcher
A normal collection presents several games through one menu but launches each title separately.
Dryxio’s project goes further by keeping all three games active within a shared process. That is why the demonstration stands out from existing trilogy packages and fan launchers.
The concept resembles arcade games found inside larger titles, but at a much greater scale. Series such as Shenmue and Like a Dragon allow players to use in world machines to launch classic games. Here, complete open world titles are operating within another open world game.
The project could become even more ambitious if the first two Grand Theft Auto games were added in a similar way. That idea has been suggested by viewers, although there is no confirmed plan to include them.
The mod arrives as Rockstar prepares GTA 6
The project has appeared while Rockstar Games continues development of Grand Theft Auto VI for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.
GTA 6 is expected to become the most technically advanced entry in the series, but this community project shows that older games still offer room for experimentation.
A future Rockstar title could theoretically include playable classics through in world devices or menus. However, there is no indication that GTA 6 will offer such a feature.
Licensing, storage requirements, platform restrictions, and commercial plans would make an official implementation more complicated.
A PC version could eventually support similar community work if Rockstar allows enough access for modding. The release timing and mod support for GTA 6 on PC remain uncertain.
The project also highlights the limits of official remasters
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition attempted to modernise GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas as a commercial package.
That release faced criticism for visual changes, technical problems, and inconsistent presentation. Dryxio’s work takes a very different approach by using community developed engines and preserving the individual structure of each game.
The mod is not a replacement for a polished remaster. It is an experimental technical project rather than a complete consumer product.
Still, it demonstrates what a single developer can achieve with access to mature community tools and a deep understanding of the original games.
A remarkable experiment in game engine integration
The project’s most important achievement is not simply fitting three games into one installation.
It is the ability to keep three separate Grand Theft Auto engines running with their own logic, progress, settings, and saves while allowing control to move between them.
That creates a form of real time engine integration rarely seen in large commercial games.
The mod remains a community experiment, and the available information does not confirm a public release date or complete compatibility details. Even so, the demonstration has already become one of the most technically interesting GTA projects in recent years.
While Rockstar focuses on the future of the series, modders continue finding new ways to expand and reconnect its past.
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