To celebrate the launch of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, Rockstar have announced a weekend filled with multiplayer mayhem on Xbox Live.

From Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1, Rockstar are inviting members of the online community to experience multiplayer in Liberty City with special guests from Rockstar North and singer/composer Henry Santos Jeter from Aventura.

To commemorate the launch and ensure every fan can participate in these exclusive events, Xbox Live multiplayer will be free all weekend for people playing Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony. The weekend’s detailed schedule is as follows;

 

Rockstar have today announced that Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City will be releasing on October 29th and is set to retail at $69.95.

Episodes From Liberty City contains the previously released The Lost and Damned the first standalone episode from Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as the second forthcoming episode The Ballad of Gay Tony and will not require a copy of the original Grand Theft Auto IV to play.

Check the official site for further details.

Rockstar today announced that the first episode of downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV entitled The Lost and Damned, is now available via Xbox LIVE Marketplace exclusively for the Xbox 360. You can check out our preview here.

“We’re thrilled to finally share the first downloadable episode of Grand Theft Auto IV,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “This vast and entirely unique first episode is packed to the brim with action, pushing the definition of downloadable content to its very limit.”

The Lost and Damned introduces players to a new narrative and protagonist that sit alongside the main story of Grand Theft Auto IV. Players will assume the role of Johnny Klebitz, Vice President of The Lost motorcycle club, as he deals with club President Billy Grey’s release from rehab and his unwavering commitment to escalating a bitter feud with rival gang, The Angels of Death.

Rockstar have today released a new trailer for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned DLC, exclusive to the Xbox 360.

We've mirrored the trailer over at GP Downloads (50MB).

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned requires players to have the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV and an Xbox LIVE membership to download.

Microsoft has announced that for the first time ever, starting Wednesday, February 18 at 6:00am (NZT), the Xbox LIVE multiplayer service, usually reserved for Xbox LIVE Gold members, will be accessible to all LIVE members while playing Grand Theft Auto IV or The Lost and Damned, the first exclusive downloadable expansion episode on Xbox 360.

This limited GTA multiplayer promotion is applicable only to players of either Grand Theft Auto IV or The Lost and Damned expansion episode, and will end on Monday, February 23 (8:59pm NZT).

To help gamers get the most from their multiplayer access, Rockstar Games and Xbox LIVE are putting on a week of special events with the chance to take on Hip Hop DJ and producer, Statik Selektah in a special ‘Game with Fame’ event and even take on the people behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise in a ‘Game with Rockstar’ multiplayer event. Sweepstake promotions and an ‘Xbox All Nighter’ will also be part of the week of activities, full details and eligibility can be found at the official site.

Rockstar have today released a trailer for The Lost And Damned, the first DLC content available for Grand Theft Auto IV.

We've had some hands-on time with The Lost And Damned this week - you can read all about it in our preview. We've mirrored the "Johnny Klebitz" trailer at GP Downloads (39MB).

The Lost And Damned will be available exclusively for the Xbox 360 on February 17.

According to Game Informer Issue 190, Rockstar may be on track to deliver a new GTA title by the end of this year;

"We're not talking about new DLC or a collection of previously available DLC, we're talking about a full retail game. We expect this title to follow the suit of previous GTAs and use a subtitle such as GTA: San Andreas, etc. Tokyo might be a possible setting for the game, but details are non-existent at this time."

This would seem to follow on with the rate of expansion show with Grand Theft Auto III, as Vice City only trailed by a year or so. If this is true, one question will remain - now that Rockstar have a solid foundation, can they improve the depth of the story and silence GTA IV critics?

Rockstar Games has announced that the eagerly anticipated first episode of downloadable content, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, will be coming to the Xbox 360.

Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE worldwide on February 17, 2009, The Lost and Damned will feature all new content and is the first of two episodes announced for Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360.

“Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode.”

Eurogamer reports that according to their insiders close to Rockstar North, that the first instalment of the Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content, for Grand Theft Auto IV, is on track for this November.

It was previously confirmed that the DLC had been delayed to Q1 2009.

The two combined downloadable packages supposedly deliver ten more hours of gameplay and additional achievements. As with Rockstar's usual behaviour, they've been quiet concerning any "meaty information", having released no media nor PR material.