Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 developed by and published by . It is the first main entry in the series since 1999's . Set within the fictional Liberty City (loosely based on ), the story follows a , Claude, who, after being betrayed and left for dead by his girlfriend during a robbery, embarks on a quest for revenge that leads him to become entangled in a world of crime, drugs, gang warfare, and corruption. The game is played from a and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands.
Development was shared between DMA Design, based in , and Rockstar, based in New York City. Much of the development involved transforming popular elements from the Grand Theft Auto series into a fully 3D world for the first time. The game was delayed following the to allow the team to change references and gameplay deemed inappropriate. It was released in October 2001 for the , in May 2002 for , and in October 2003 for the .
Grand Theft Auto III received critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at its concept and gameplay. However, the game also generated controversy, with criticism directed at its depictions of violence and sex. It became the of 2001, and has sold over 14.5 million copies since. Considered by many critics as one of the most significant titles of the and a landmark game in the open world concept, it is often listed among the . It won several year-end accolades, including awards from several . Since its release, it has received to many different gaming platforms. An enhanced version of the game was released on in 2011, for the game's tenth anniversary. Its successor, , was released in October 2002, and two prequels, and , were released in 2004 and 2005, respectively.