Bringing Path Tracing to a 1999 Classic
Modder gebdag has unveiled GTA2 RTX Remix, a mod that harnesses Nvidia’s RTX Remix technology to add full path tracing and dynamic time-of-day cycles to Grand Theft Auto 2.
Grand Theft Auto 2, released in 1999, used older graphics APIs such as DirectDraw and an earlier version of Direct3D. These legacy APIs create a technical barrier to modern technologies like RTX Remix, which lacks native support for DirectDraw and relies on Direct3D 9. A custom wrapper is required to interface with previous versions of Direct3D.
The modder developed a custom Direct3D 9 renderer utilizing two DLLs that serve as translators, converting the game's legacy graphics pipeline into a format that RTX Remix can understand and interpret in real time.
Dynamic Lighting and Modern Standards
Anywhere City now features realistic lighting, shadow effects, and a dynamic day-night cycle. Explosions, vehicle fires, and neon signs act as independent light sources with glows and reflections, and users can adjust lighting via an in-game menu.
Here comes a GTA2 RTX Remix mod with full path tracing + dynamic time of day! From modder gabdeg 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dZ0eMyIfmsSeptember 25, 2026
Beyond the visual overhaul, the mod adds widescreen 16:9 display support, frame rates up to 60 FPS through Frame Generation technology, and fixes for object pop-in at the screen edges.
Availability and System Requirements
GTA2 RTX Remix is an open-source project available on GitHub. It requires a copy of Grand Theft Auto 2 version 9.6, a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or Windows 11, and the necessary RTX Remix runtime files.
RTX Remix continues to enable comprehensive modding projects for classic titles, joining community efforts for games such as Need For Speed Carbon, Tomb Raider, Max Payne, and Morrowind.
