Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and London 1961

Updated 28 October 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and London 1961 are two expansion packs for the first Grand Theft Auto. London 1969 came out on 30 April 1999 for PC and PlayStation, made by Rockstar Canada. London 1961 followed as a free PC download on 1 July 1999. Both move the top-down crime action to a fictional 1960s London.

What is GTA London?

GTA London is the common name for two add-ons to the first Grand Theft Auto. London 1969 was Mission Pack #1 and was sold in shops. London 1961 was Mission Pack #2 and was given away online. Both swap the original's three American cities for one map based on 1960s London. A later PlayStation edition could run without the original disc.

What changed from GTA 1?

The rules stay the same. You still answer phone boxes to get jobs, earn points, build a multiplier and unlock the next level by reaching a score target. The camera is still top-down.

The changes are in the setting. There is a single city instead of three, period cars fill the streets, and the text uses British slang. When the police catch you, the game says "Nicked" instead of "Busted". The jobs come from several London crime firms. The art was made with GTACars, a fan-made modding tool, which shows how small and quick the project was.

What is London 1961?

London 1961 was announced in June 1999 and released for free on 1 July 1999. It went online at the same time as the website for Grand Theft Auto 2. It uses the same London map and cast as London 1969 but is set eight years earlier. It is much shorter than the first pack.

How was GTA London made?

Take-Two Interactive announced the pack in February 1999 and promoted it as the first add-on pack for the PlayStation. It was first meant to come out under Gathering of Developers, another Take-Two label, before Rockstar Games took it. Greg Bick directed it at Rockstar Canada. Dan Houser wrote it and produced it with Lucien King. Actor John Berger voiced the Crisp Twins in a cutscene. The PC version was finished by 22 April 1999, about a week before release.

Release history

Reception

Reviews were mixed. GameRankings averaged about 75% for the PC version and about 69% for the PlayStation version. GameSpot gave both versions 5.9 out of 10. IGN scored the PC version 7.8 and the PlayStation version 7.5, while Eurogamer gave the PC version 9 out of 10. Most complaints were that the pack barely improved the original's controls, missions and graphics.

The audio was the clear highlight. The pack won the 1999 BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for Sound. It also topped the UK sales chart in its first two weeks.

Legacy

Later in 1999 the series moved on to GTA 2, and in 2001 to 3D with GTA III. Later games stayed with American-style settings, a line that continues with Leonida in GTA VI.