Mobile Rockstar Games Launcher - Findings from the San Andreas update

After seeing the pictures posted relating to the images found in SA mobile, i decided to have a look further into what was changed code wise, after previously noticing certain subdomains come up, so i will share my ramblings/findings here:

TLDR, for people who are lazy like myself:  launcher coming for mobile, with possible GTA+ subscription, new login screens + a free trial timer where you are able to play the game for a limited timeframe, and free transfer from standalone games to launcher

The launcher name also seems to possibly just be "Rockstar Mobile" as there was a lot of mentions of it named as such

first thing i noticed: 2 subdomains i had noticed were infact present in this new version: "mobileapi" and "mobilelauncher", although mobilelauncher is still just a "dev" domain, and unused in this version, though it does give a hint to the possible future of these titles

the main thing: a fair few of mentions for "GameClub", which got me digging, and eventually lead to https://gameclub.io, which was actually recently acquired by take two sometime in march

i have yet to see anything that directly mentions subscriptions yet that arent just part of gameclubs own code from their original app (a lot of their libraries have been used here with very minimal changes)

(anything prefixed with "GC" here is GameClub related code, that has been reused)

which leads me to believe that they will be using gameclubs knowledge/libraries/apis to create a new platform, being the "mobile launcher" that is referenced in the code, and infact is partially present already

one thing they seem to be doing is on release of this launcher is allowing you to provide proof of purchase of the non-launcher based title, via a google play reciept/etc, and then giving you access to it in the launcher for free

this will then automatically send r* support a ticket, relating to "[title name] - [mobile device] - Ownership Continuity"

as well as the ability to claim the launcher version, there may be possible trials for the games in the future - there are strings for this, alongside some new Flutter UI stuff related to it

there are also screens for these pages too, but i have yet to give them a try, along with a brand new login screen too, which ends up using some of the images that were seen in images posted already, specifically slide1 and slide2 - https://imgur.com/a/lPCzmsZ

speaking of images, nothing relating to the gta+ image is used at all yet, but considering the fact they purchased a mobile launcher company whos built around subscriptions, i dont think its far fetched to assume gta+ may be coming to mobile, especially with the survey they ran a while back

anyway, for anyone curious, here is the full JSON of the locale stuff, some may be old GC leftovers, some may be new to SA

{
  "ANDROID_WEBVIEW_ERROR_MESSAGE": "There was an error connecting to the server. Please try again later.",
  "ANDROID_WEBVIEW_ERROR_TITLE": "Error",
  "CLOUDSAVESFORPAID_HEADING": "Cloud saves unavailable during trial",
  "CLOUDSAVESFORPAID_SUBHEADING": "Cloud saves will become available as soon as you unlock the full game",
  "ERROR_HEADING": "Error",
  "ERROR_INVALID_IMAGE": "Could not parse image, please try another image.",
  "ERROR_INVALID_IMAGE_HEADING": "Invalid Image",
  "FREE_TRIAL_OVER_HEADING": "Time's Up! Unlock the Full Game to Continue",
  "FREE_TRIAL_OVER_SUBHEADING_DEFAULT": "It didn’t feel like [minutes] minutes? That’s got to be a good thing. Buy the full game now.",
  "FREE_TRIAL_OVER_SUBHEADING_WITH_PRICE_DEFAULT": "It didn’t feel like [minutes] minutes? That’s got to be a good thing. Buy the full game now for just [price].",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_EMAIL_HEADING": "Your Email",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_EMAIL_MISSING": "Please enter a valid email",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_ERROR_OCCURRED": "An error occurred, please try again. ([error])",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_HEADING": "Already bought [game] on mobile?",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_OTHER_DETAILS_HEADING": "Any other useful information",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_POLICY": "I have read and understood the [Privacy Policy]",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_POLICY_MISSING": "Please accept the privacy policy",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_RECEIPT_BUTTON": "Choose Receipt or Proof",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_RECEIPT_DESCRIPTION": "Please provide a screenshot of a receipt or other proof or purchase you might have. ",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_RECEIPT_DONE_HEADING": "Thank you for submitting your form.",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_RECEIPT_DONE_SUBHEADING": "We will review it shortly.",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_RECEIPT_HEADING": "Receipt or other proof of purchase",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_RECEIPT_LINK": "Learn more about where to find your receipt",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_REQUIRED": "*Required",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_SUBHEADING": "Take a few minutes to complete the form below. If we can verify your details, we'll unlock the game for you.",
  "LEGACYUPGRADE_SUBMIT": "SEND",
  "LEGACY_RESTORED_HEADING": "Purchase Restored",
  "LEGACY_RESTORED_OKAY": "Okay",
  "LEGACY_RESTORED_SUBHEADING": "The full game is now unlocked and ready to play. Enjoy!",
  "LOADING": "loading...",
  "LOGIN_COMPLETE_ERROR_HEADING": "Error",
  "LOGIN_COMPLETE_ERROR_OKAY": "Okay",
  "LOGOUT_CONFIRM_BUTTON_CANCEL": "Cancel",
  "LOGOUT_CONFIRM_BUTTON_LOGOUT": "Logout",
  "LOGOUT_CONFIRM_HEADING": "Logout?",
  "LOGOUT_CONFIRM_MESSAGE": "Are you sure you want to logout?",
  "OK": "OK",
  "OTHERGAMES_HEADING_DEFAULT": "More Rockstar games",
  "OTHERGAMES_SUBHEADING_DEFAULT": "Try our other world-class mobile games",
  "PRODUCT_LOAD_NO_PRICING": "No pricing was data returned from Apple",
  "PRODUCT_LOAD_NO_PRICING_HEADING": "Product pricing not found",
  "PRODUCT_LOAD_TIMEOUT": "Timed out loading pricing data from Apple",
  "PRODUCT_LOAD_TIMEOUT_HEADING": "Timeout",
  "PRODUCT_LOAD_UNKNOWN_PRODUCTS": "Apple did not recognize the product identifiers: [identifiers]",
  "PRODUCT_LOAD_UNKNOWN_PRODUCTS_HEADING": "Apple did not recognize the products",
  "PURCHASE_COMPLETE_HEADING": "Thank you for your purchase",
  "PURCHASE_COMPLETE_OKAY": "Okay",
  "PURCHASE_COMPLETE_SUBHEADING": "The full game is now unlocked and ready to play. Enjoy!",
  "PURCHASE_DEFERRED": "The purchase must be completed on another device. Details: [details]",
  "PURCHASE_DEFERRED_HEADING": "Purchase Deferred!",
  "PURCHASE_DEFERRED_HEADING_OK": "OK",
  "PURCHASE_DISABLED": "Purchases are not allowed on this device. Please enable them and try again.",
  "PURCHASE_DISABLED_HEADING": "Purchase Disabled",
  "PURCHASE_FAILED": "Unable to complete the purchase. Details: [details]",
  "PURCHASE_FAILED_HEADING": "Purchase Failed!",
  "PURCHASE_FAILED_HEADING_OK": "OK",
  "PURCHASE_FAILED_NODETAILS": "Unable to complete the purchase.",
  "PURCHASE_RESTORED_HEADING": "[game] Unlocked",
  "PURCHASE_RESTORED_SUBHEADING": "The full game is now unlocked and ready to play. Enjoy!",
  "PURHASE_RESTORED_OKAY": "Okay",
  "RESTORE_FAILED": "We were not able to find and restore a previous purchase of this game. If this is a mistake, please contact Rockstar Support.",
  "RESTORE_FAILED_BUTTON_CLOSE": "Close",
  "RESTORE_FAILED_BUTTON_CONTACTFORM": "Rockstar Support",
  "RESTORE_FAILED_HEADING": "Restore Purchase Failed!",
  "SCAPI_INVALID_URL": "Could not parse input url",
  "SCAPI_REQUEST_ERROR": "Could not complete request, try again later",
  "SOCIALCLUB_LAUNCHSIGNIN_HEADING": "Sign in with your Social Club Account",
  "SOCIALCLUB_LAUNCHSIGNIN_SIGNINBUTTON": "Sign into Social Club",
  "SOCIALCLUB_LAUNCHSIGNIN_SIGNUPBUTTON": "Sign up for Social Club",
  "SOCIALCLUB_LAUNCHSIGNIN_SKIPBUTTON": "Skip Sign in",
  "SOCIALCLUB_LAUNCHSIGNIN_SUBHEADING": "Social club enables the use of Cloud Saving. Games can be saved to the Cloud Slots and accessed from compatible devices",
  "SOCIALCLUB_SIGNIN_INTRO_SIGNIN": "SIGN INTO SOCIAL CLUB",
  "SOCIALCLUB_SIGNIN_INTRO_SIGNUP": "I don't have a Social Club account",
  "SOCIALCLUB_SIGNIN_INTRO_SLIDE1_HEADING": "Let's Hook You Up",
  "SOCIALCLUB_SIGNIN_INTRO_SLIDE1_SUBHEADING_DEFAULT": "Sign in to your Rockstar Games Social Club account.",
  "TIMERBAR_UNLOCK": "Unlock",
  "TRIALBANNER_DURATIONLEFT": "This game is free to play for [minutes] minutes",
  "UNLOCK_BUY_FULL_GAME": "BUY FULL GAME [price]",
  "UNLOCK_BUY_FULL_GAME_ERROR": "UNABLE TO LOAD PRICE",
  "UNLOCK_BUY_FULL_GAME_TRY_AGAIN": "tap to try again",
  "UNLOCK_CONTINUE_GAME_FOR": "CONTINUE GAME FOR [minutes] MIN",
  "UNLOCK_FOOTER": "Payment is charged to iTunes Store account at confirmation. Rockstar legal terms can be found at https://www.rockstargames.com/legal, while our privacy policy can be found at https://www.rockstargames.com/privacy.",
  "UNLOCK_FOOTER_ANDROID": "Rockstar legal terms can be found at https://www.rockstargames.com/legal, while our privacy policy can be found at https://www.rockstargames.com/privacy.",
  "UNLOCK_HEADER_DEFAULT": "Buy [game] to unlock the full version of the game.",
  "UNLOCK_LOADING": "loading...",
  "UNLOCK_RESTORE_PURCHASES": "Restore Purchase",
  "UNLOCK_SUBHEADER_DEFAULT": "This game is free to play for the first [minutes] minutes. We think you’ll love it.",
  "UNLOCK_SUBHEADER_DEFAULT_WITH_PRICE": "This game is free to play for the first [minutes] minutes. We think you’ll love it. Buy the full game for just [price].",
  "UNLOCK_TRY_GAME_FOR": "TRY GAME FOR [minutes] MIN"
}

So it looks like this GameClub is also who might be developing a mobile version of the R* Games Launcher, based on some new subdomains that have been spotted both in the files for the new SA patch and in reverse DNS searches. Considering their experience with mobile clients, and the fact they were acquired by R*, I suppose it only makes sense, and it does seem like it could be solid. The images found within the apk's also seem to support this, with placeholder images for Rockstar's other mobile games, probably to be shown in a centralised client.

At the same time I guess we now know who is maintaining the mobile versions of these games, and probably the true sign that Grove Street Games have been kicked to the curb. GameClub (on top of being the name of the company) used to be a mobile games client where you had a large choice of mobile games, including subscription tiers to get access to a lot of them for free, or freebies in each one of them, etc. So them making a mobile client for R*'s games and perhaps even a hub to manage your GTA+ subscription isn't out of the realm of possibility.

As mentioned there also seems to be some references to an "upgrade path" - I wonder if this is for the upcoming (whenever it'll be...) DE mobile or for a possible transfer of the games from the App/Play Store to a R* mobile Launcher store. If it's for the DE, looks like owners of the previous versions could be getting the DE's for free, which would make sense considering all the hubbub around them IMO.

Some of the text strings in regards to a "trial" and so on seem to be reused from the original GameClub client, as is a lot of stuff within the new GTA SA update, just outright reused, but some of it has been changed to say "Rockstar" so it might be safe to say an RGL Mobile could have trials of their mobile games - think the EA or Ubisoft clients on PC that offer timed trials of their games before you buy them. You would be able to test what these mobile versions play like before actually spending any money.

as of version 2.11.32 (maybe there was another prior? unsure), they removed all of the code that was contained in 2.11.13 relating to this launcher and all of the mobile api logic, whatever they are cooking it was definitely not meant to be found just yet

Today's a Friday, could they be getting ready for the announcement about this, prior to making the tweet? 

The GTA LCS update also seems to have unlocked the frame rate to 60 FPS (which I think is an odd decision for a game of this era without additional fixes, there will be physics bugs) and seems to run smoother on Android, people are talking about it in this thread: https://gtaforums.com/topic/988778-is-there-any-version-for-android-12/?do=findComment&comment=1072198933

That said, yes, the new GTA LCS update is exposing what was originally found in this thread. A way to trial games without paying (so you can see whether the mobile version is good or not), a flow to transfer your purchases to whatever new thing they're developing, etc.

Use that "restore" option to play it

about possible bug-fixes we don't know nothing about that without a changelog...

I have asked today at rockstar a possible option to cap fps to 30

GTA CTW doesn't include Social Club on Android version and this also with latest update

I hope for a GTA VCS release

5 hours ago, Spider-Vice said:

The GTA LCS update also seems to have unlocked the frame rate to 60 FPS (which I think is an odd decision for a game of this era without additional fixes, there will be physics bugs) and seems to run smoother on Android, people are talking about it in this thread: https://gtaforums.com/topic/988778-is-there-any-version-for-android-12/?do=findComment&comment=1072198933

 

That said, yes, the new GTA LCS update is exposing what was originally found in this thread. A way to trial games without paying (so you can see whether the mobile version is good or not), a flow to transfer your purchases to whatever new thing they're developing, etc.

LCS has been running at 60FPS on iOS (as long as your device is an iPhone 6S/iPad Pro Gen 1 or newer) and the NVIDIA Shield TV since launch, so it seems like this update uncapped the frame rate for general Android devices. FWIW, while I never played through the entire game, I was able to do all of the side content and the first few story missions in Portland a few years ago (I had an iPhone XS Max at the time) and never encountered any bugs with the higher FPS. I'm just guessing here, but might there be some small engine changes between LCS and the 3D Era Trilogy that made official 60FPS support more feasible?

Incidentally, that would leave SA, CTW and the iOS versions of III and VC as the only mobile GTA ports that are still locked at 30FPS, although CLEO mods exist that uncap the frame rate for the former (but if you want to try this on iOS, your device needs to be jailbroken, which has sadly become much more difficult to do in recent years).

GTA LCS doesn't use Renderware engine but i don't know if is because of that

Renderware is just for graphics, all else is custom R* North code that has been re-adapted over the years, in this case by R* Leeds.

What engine does CTW use?

Remember that GTA D.E. was "leaked" with Rockstar Launcher, so i think that something will happen soon (the login screen and the free 30 minutes trial are here already with latest update of GTA LCS; i don't know about GTA3, VC & SA because i don't have those on my Android phone)

About engine of GTA CTW there isn't a name of that...

GTA 3 was secretly updated yesterday but I'm still not sure what it was and when I open the game I don't see any signs of the launcher.

For now you will see only a log-in screen of Social Club, if available

Exactly, what is the purpose of these launchers?

Reducing piracy I suppose. LCS started to require additional purchase verification via Social Club lately.

I got another update for GTA CW

still no Social Club

On 9/18/2023 at 6:39 PM, FulVal85 said:

still no Social Club

And that's good. It only complicates things.

Now pop up for rating the game appears.

They could at least bring back iFruit or at least move all its features to GTA V directly.

Microsoft Store page of GTA+ says "compatible device"

Rockstar page of GTA+ doesn't show that, i think that we have to wait more times for something

I still suspect a possible remaster of GTA Liberty City Stories because is no longer available to buy on both Android & IoS stores (i don't know about a possible remaster of GTA Vice City Stories too, i hope...)

GTA San Andreas will stop working soon (you can see a red message in Play Store)

1 hour ago, FulVal85 said:

Microsoft Store page of GTA+ says "compatible device"

 

Rockstar page of GTA+ doesn't show that, i think that we have to wait more times for something

 

 

I still suspect a possible remaster of GTA Liberty City Stories because is no longer available to buy on both Android & IoS stores (i don't know about GTA Vice City Stories...)

 

GTA San Andreas will stop working soon (you can see a red message in Play Store)

What red message in the Play Store are you talking about? Could you please send a screenshot?

1 hour ago, Raskul said:

What red message in the Play Store are you talking about? Could you please send a screenshot?

"Recent data from similar devices shows that this app may no longer work on your device"

(Translated with google from my italian device... i don't know which is the real english message)

Maybe your phone has too old OS. SA was updated not so long ago, back in June this year.

Android 13 here...

try to open Play Store and search that game

Found this
 
Idk if its new, but apparently there's reference to mobile launcher in sc app.js



 also this Icon

pretty sure this is an old one
 

Hmm, I'm not sure how Rockstar is going to pull this off with current iOS restrictions with sideloading. Sideloading for iOS is expected in the EU in early 2024, but that's likely only for the EU and not the US. 

9 hours ago, mnm345 said:

 also this Icon

I can't find any of these...

6 hours ago, mnm345 said:

 

How could you get such a message? Logged in from a mobile device?

More updates for GTA CTW & LCS are out

GTA CTW

Android

[October 17, 2023] - Android v4.4.151

• Bug fixes and improvements

GTA LCS

iOS

[October 17, 2023] - iOS v2.4.146

• Bug fixes and improvements