Beta Releases in GTA IV

Before the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodic expansions, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, there were features that were removed from the final product. These changes range from deleted vehicles and player skins to the removal of entire characters and mission strands.

Missions

 * Originally, It's Your Call was set at night.
 * As seen in the third trailer, The Cousins Bellic took place in the early afternoon.
 * The helicopter in the mission Dust Off originally had a different color scheme.
 * As seen in the third trailer, the end of A Revenger's Tragedy is shown to be sunny when it is supposed to be raining.
 * As seen in the third trailer, there was going to be a mission involving Niko, Roman, and two unnamed people who were trying to escape on a boat with police boats chasing them.
 * Niko was supposed to drive to a food vendor in The Cousins Bellic.
 * As seen in a screenshot, there was a mission involving Niko blowing up a Stretch with a police convoy.
 * According to a screenshot, the mission Undertaker originally took place at night.
 * During Eddie Low's first random character encounter, the weather was originally rainy instead of misty.
 * According to the "american.gxt" file, there were more Most Wanted missions in the beta.
 * According to the game's text files, Milica Bellic was supposed to send an e-mail to Niko after completing the storyline, but only if the Deal ending had been chosen beforehand.

The Lost and Damned

 * There was going to be a mission where Johnny, Billy, Brian, and Jason carried out drive-bys on a police car.
 * The full nude content from the mission Politics was cut.
 * Originally, Coming Down was an optional mission.
 * Malc would originally give missions to Johnny.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * An early interview stated that there would be a random character encounter where a "crazy" ex-girlfriend of Luis would rig a bomb to his car (possibly Margot).
 * According to the GXT files for the mission High Dive, Luis would have been given a chance to spare Ahmed Khalil.
 * In the Meet Tony Prince trailer, Tony would have accompanied Luis in the mission Bang Bang, but the reason for that to be cut is unknown.
 * In Caught With Your Pants Down, Luis was supposed to go to Westminster with Yusuf to pick up his Swift. In the final version, Yusuf is already in his Swift when Luis goes to Star Junction.
 * In Boulevard Baby, the owner originally wanted to see Luis in his office.
 * In Departure Time, Ray Bulgarin was supposed to have a meeting with his entourage at the airport, which would be interrupted by Luis, resulting in a shootout. Bulgarin would flee in a Huntley Sport with a convoy of cars and the player would chase after him.
 * During In the Crosshairs, the building Luis is on was supposed to catch fire, leaving him to find another way out.
 * There was another mission for Bulgarin that was going to be the third mission for him, before In the Crosshairs; it's unknown why it was cut. The missions in the final version of the game are marked as "RBULG1" (Going Deep), "RBULG2" ( Dropping In...), and "RBULG4" (In the Crosshairs). "RBULG3" is missing.

Vehicles

 * Vehicles had more intense reflections.Beta_Reflection.jpeg
 * There were meant to be flyable planes and jets, however, according to a Q&A by Rockstar Games, they were cut because the map was too small.
 * There was a helicopter with only two propellers and a design which looked just like the Police Maverick but with no LCPD logos on the side. This could have been an earlier version of the Police Maverick or Maverick, although it is unlikely because the design is not similar in any way.
 * Five vehicles from GTA San Andreas which were planned to be in the game can be found in the handling.dat file; these are the Nevada, Shamal , Rustler , Dozer , and Vortex . The only remains are their animation data.
 * The Coach from the 2D and 3D games was supposed to appear, but was cut for unknown reasons. It can be seen on the Higgins Helitours commercial on in-game TV. Its design was reused for Grand Theft Auto V's Dashound.
 * The handling of the Dodo, Andromada, and S.W.A.T. from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas can be found inside the game files.
 * A new jet, called the Fighter, was supposed to appear, but was removed. Only its handling remains.
 * The Previon and Majestic from GTA: San Andreas both have unused police scanner audio referring to them.
 * Unused police scanner audio suggests that the Buffalo was already planned to be in the main game.
 * On "I'm Rich" an unnamed SUV (possibly a beta Landstalker) and a private jet resembling the Shamal can be seen, but are absent from the actual game.
 * Eight choppers from The Lost and Damned were already planned to be in the game. They still exist in the game files.
 * The Tow Truck from The Lost and Damned was cut. There is a photo in which Niko seems to be driving a Tow Truck, which suggests that the vehicle was already planned to be in the main game.
 * The Elegant from GTA San Andreas was cut.Early Police NyK6vQh.png
 * The Police Cruiser sported a different set of tires and/or wheels, as seen during one of the trailers. They appear to be much higher profile.
 * What appears to be a NOOSE Boxville can be seen during the official Grand Theft Auto IV trailer, in the background. It is likely another police vehicle, likely the Enforcer, behind a parked Boxville, however, it remains unknown.
 * As seen in the first trailer, ferries were supposed to be featured in the game, but were cut.
 * An unknown white car is seen here in this early screenshot.

The Lost and Damned

 * An "admiral2" and "biff2" exist within the game files, specifically, the vehOff.csv file.
 * Mentions of the Rhino exist, although it is absent from the final game. The only remains of the vehicle are its camera positions in TLAD's vehOff.csv.
 * Based on the beta models found in the files of the original game, NOOSE_Boxville.png Daemon, Diabolus, Hexer, and Nightblade had their names written on them.
 * The Angel had side panniers.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * The Skylift originally resembled its real life counterpart, the Sikorsky S-64 "Skycrane", more closely. This can be seen in the first trailer.
 * A large armored truck, the Brickade, exists within the game files, but is unused.
 * A vehicle named Robin was also cut; only its handling remains.
 * There's an unused unmodified version of the second generation Schafter in the game files, which lacks the side skirts, custom bumpers, two twin exhausts, and standard rims and comes with a stock grille.

Pedestrians

 * There were originally female police officers, as seen in the first trailer.


 * There are unused quotes for FIB officers in the game files.

Characters

 * A mobster, Raymond Alberga, is rumoured to have been deleted from the final version. It was possibly supposed to be Ray Boccino's original name.
 * Little Jacob originally did not wear glasses and prominently wore a zebra patterned jacket. This can be seen in First Date.
 * Michelle had a different looking face as seen in the GTA IV "Move Up Ladies" trailer.
 * Playboy X used to have a plain maroon hoodie.
 * Originally, Manny Escuela's jacket was blue instead of black. This can be seen in his artwork.
 * The United Liberty Paper contact had a different voice, as heard in the second trailer.
 * Real Badman did not wear a hat.
 * Brucie originally didn't have tattoos.
 * Roman's face and clothes were different.
 * Mikhail Faustin had gray hair and his hairstyle was different.
 * Ilyena Faustin had different clothes, as seen in the second trailer.
 * Ray Bulgarin's face was paler and less detailed.
 * Carmen Ortiz had a shorter ponytail.
 * Originally, Real Badman, Phil Bell, and Bernie Crane could be taken on friend activities.
 * Roman had a different outfit. The clothing was a white jacket, much like Roman's brown and tan jacket, and white pants. Roman's beta clothing can be seen in the second trailer.
 * Manny Escuela had a different appearance according to an early artwork.
 * Niko's hair was a bit longer in the front. This is seen in the third trailer.
 * There was going to be a character called Pauline Simmones, who was going to be the host of Head Radio, but he was removed for unknown reasons.
 * According to an unused text, there was a character named Victor Rivas scheduled to appear in the game, but was cut.
 * A Most Wanted criminal Maxwell Caughlin's last name was originally going to be Caddy.
 * Johnny Barbosa's original first name was Vinny.
 * In the game files, Kenny Petrovic's character model was originally going to be Frickie Van Hardenburg's character model, but was changed before the final release.
 * Niko was originally scheduled to be voiced by Vladimir Mashkov.
 * There were more Most Wanted criminals than the normal 30 in the final. These were: Marcel Hevas, Cletus Luzell and Alyssa Funke. Evidence of this can be found in the "american.gxt" file.

The Lost and Damned

 * According to previews, Johnny had the ability to date girlfriends.
 * Jason Michaels originally had a bigger role in the game, as seen in several trailers.
 * Johnny originally had Jason, Malc, and DeSean's phone numbers on his phone's contact list.
 * Terry wore a different outfit as seen in a screenshot.
 * Jason originally wore the same outfit that he wears in the GTA IV mission No Love Lost instead of the one he wears in The Lost and Damned missions.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * Tony wore different glasses that were tinted purple instead of clear as seen in the main game and the The Lost and Damned expansion.
 * In the game files, a character named Aleks Thornton was meant to appear in the game, but was removed for unknown reasons.
 * Tony, Mori Kibbutz, and Yusuf Amir could be taken on friend activities.
 * Armando and Henrique had a bigger role in the game.

City

 * Some areas named Anger Bay, Norfolk, Jefferson Heights, Acter Bay, Richmond, Frogtown, and Washington Heights (Beta Northwood) were cut. Two areas called Hedgebury and Goatherd can be seen on roadsigns on the Broker-Dukes Expressway. It is likely that they are two more cut neighborhoods, or they could be beta names of the neighborhoods that exist where Hedgebury and Goatherd  supposedly lead to (Firefly Projects for Goatherd and Outlook for Hedgebury).
 * The setting of the game was originally going to be Liberty State, rather than just Liberty City, and it would have included countryside surrounding Liberty City, mountains based on the Adirondacks and Catskills, and possibly even The Caraways. The article mentioned that there were three cities. First is Liberty City, next is possibly The Caraways, and the last could be Carcer City mentioned as "nearby".
 * Two streets named Liberation Street and 128th Street were either cut or renamed. There was also a street named 1990 Street that was also removed.
 * The Statue of Happiness was originally going to be called Statue of Freedom.
 * The Statue of Happiness had a different face.
 * The body of water had a different color than blue.
 * There was probably an airport in Alderney according to an extra space in the south-western part of the state.
 * In Alderney State, there was a peninsula in the north-western part that shows only land. It is unknown what was located here.

Clothing

 * Fingerless gloves were probably available during gameplay. Pre-release screenshots, posters, trailers, and videos of the PC version also show Niko with fingerless gloves, but were still not available in the game. However, they can still be found in the game files.
 * Binco was going to be the first clothing store. It was replaced by the Russian Shop, while ZIP became Modo.
 * The Rockstar Games hoodie, from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was removed.
 * Niko's clothes originally did not have stripes. This can be seen clearly in the trailer Things Will be Different.
 * Originally, the player could buy clothes from Didier Sachs, but the shop ended up being cut. Its clothing stores still exist in a few places.
 * The Perseus suit had a yellow tie.
 * The Blue Jacket from an official artwork was cut from the final game.
 * Niko wore different clothes in The Cousins Bellic.

The Lost and Damned

 * The Russian Shop would have been accessible, but was cut because the clothes in the shop wouldn't fit the biker theme in the game. If the player goes to the front door, an icon will appear.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * In the Meet: Luis Lopez trailer for TBoGT, Luis is seen wearing the brown and black Perseus suit but with blue jeans. This implies that it may have been one of Luis' already available outfits.

Weapons

 * The weapons in the beta version had different names.
 * Beta weapons included a Silenced 9mm, Pool Cue, Minigun, Flamethrower, Nightstick, and the revolver. These weapons were featured in San Andreas and Vice City and were likely to return. The Pool Cue returned in The Lost and Damned.
 * The Baseball bat was originally wooden, like in Grand Theft Auto III.
 * In an early preview, Little Jacob would sell a rocket launcher to Niko. It was originally attached to the underside of his car.NikoBellic-GTAIV-EarlyArtwork.jpg
 * The Combat Shotgun's original model was a Frenchi SPAS-12, but was replaced by the Remington Model 1100.
 * Weapon pickups were originally yellow instead of orange.
 * Originally, there was a Yugoslavian Zastava M70, which had appeared in trailers and several screenshots, but was cut and replaced by the AK-47.
 * The Sledgehammer, Hammer, and the Nailgun were cut, but can be seen being held by construction workers.
 * The Pump Shotgun originally had a different model.
 * According to some artworks, the Carbine Rifle's original model was an M16.
 * One of the artworks mentioned above suggests the LCPD could have used the Combat Pistol as a sidearm.
 * The body armor would have been physically represented on the character model if equipped.
 * Originally, the player had the feature or ability to dual-wield weapons according to the game files, but this was cut for unknown reasons.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * The Automatic Shotgun was fully automatic.
 * The Advanced Sniper's scope was not tinted green.
 * The Assault SMG did not have a silencer.
 * The Parachute was entirely yellow in the beta.

Soundtrack
As mentioned in early previews, there were several songs that were removed from the final version and are found in the american.gxt file:

Electro-Choc:
 * Louis La Roche - Love (2008)

Liberty Rock Radio:
 * The Rolling Stones - Fingerprint File (1974)
 * The Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb (1966)
 * Elvis Costello - Radio Radio (1978)

Radio Broker:
 * The Virgins - One Week of Danger (2008)
 * Celebration - Fly the Fly (Holy Fuck Remix) (2007)
 * Datarock - Computer Camp Love (2005)
 * The Dead Fish - Shallowlead (2007)
 * The Go! Team - Junior Kickstart (2003)
 * UNKLE feat. Josh Homme - Restless (2007)
 * VHS or Beta - Burn It All Down (2007)

The Beat 102.7:
 * DJ Green Lantern feat. Akon, Fabolous & Fat Joe - I'm So Fly (2008)
 * Fat Joe - Shit Is Real Pt. III (2002)

The Classics:
 * M.O.P. - Downtown Swinga (1994)
 * M.O.P. - How About Some Hardcore (1993)
 * Run-D.M.C. - Sucker M.C.'s (1983)

The Vibe 98.8:
 * Cassie - Me & U (2006)
 * Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl (2004)
 * Res - They Say Vision (2001)

Tuff Gong:
 * Bob Marley & The Wailers - Get Up, Stand Up (1973)

Vladivostok FM:
 * Max Lorens – Схожу с ума (Shozhu s uma / Going Crazy)
 * Quest Pistols – Мама (Mama / Mother)
 * Dyshi – Взгляни на небо (Vzglyani na nebo / Look on the Sky)
 * Bi-2 - Полковник (Polkovnik / Colonel)


 * The Beat 102.7 was called Hot 95.
 * Tuff Gong Radio was called Babylon.
 * According to a French preview, some Rolling Stones songs could be heard on Liberty Rock Radio.
 * Head Radio was due to appear, but was dropped during development.

The Lost and Damned
The american.gxt file lists additional songs for radio stations: Jazz Nation Radio 108.5, Liberty Rock Radio, and Radio Broker. They are:

Jazz Nation Radio 108.5:
 * Billie Holiday - Fine and Mellow (1939)

Liberty Rock Radio:
 * Steppenwolf - Ride With Me (1971)
 * Tubeway Army - Bombers (1978)
 * Nazareth - Changin' Times (1975)
 * Black Oak Arkansas - Hot and Nasty (1971)
 * Breakwater - Release the Beast (1980)
 * New York Dolls - Private World (1973)
 * The Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin' (1973)
 * Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns and Money (1978)
 * Python Lee Jackson feat. Rod Stewart - In a Broken Dream (1970)
 * Rare Earth - (I Know) I'm Losing You (1970)
 * Robin Trower - Day of the Eagle (1974)
 * Billy Squier - The Stroke (1981)
 * Ted Nugent - Hey Baby (1975)
 * The Cult - Born to Be Wild (1987)
 * Love and Rockets - Motorcycle (1989)
 * Motörhead - Ace of Spades (1980)
 * Iron Maiden - The Trooper (1983)
 * Mötley Crüe - Kickstart My Heart (1989)
 * Judas Priest - Breaking the Law (1980)
 * Lou Reed - Vicious (1972)

Radio Broker:
 * Blonde Acid Cult - Calypso (2008)
 * Free Blood - Quick and Painful (2007)
 * The Carps - Porgie & Bess (Big Booty Girls) (2008)
 * The Carps - Veronica Belmont (2008)
 * TK Webb & The Visions - Shame (2008)
 * Scissors for Lefty - Consumption Junction (2008)
 * The Soft Pack - Nightlife (2008)
 * Foxylane - Same Shirt (2007)
 * Kudu - Give Me Your Head (2009)
 * Tame Impala - Half Full Glass of Wine (2008)
 * The Bronx - Knifeman (2008)

The Ballad of Gay Tony
K109 The Studio:
 * Alicia Bridges - I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round) (1978)
 * Chic - My Forbidden Lover (1979)
 * Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye (1974)
 * GQ - Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) (1978)
 * Hamilton Bohannon - Let's Start the Dance (1978)
 * Michael Zager Band - Let's All Chant (1977)
 * Peaches & Herb - Funtime (1980)
 * The O'Jays - I Love Music (1975)
 * Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around (1976)

Self-Actualization FM:
 * Erik Wøllo - Monument (1990)
 * Pete Namlook - You (1st Impression) (1993)
 * Spacetime Continuum - Voice of the Earth (1994)
 * Coldcut - Autumn Leaves (Irresistable Force Mix Trip 2) (1993)
 * System 7 - Masato Eternity (2008)
 * Moby - My Beautiful Blue Sky (1993)

Vice City FM:


 * Belouis Some - Imagination (1985)
 * Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) (1984)
 * Club Nouveau - Lean on Me (1986)
 * Culture Club - Time (Clock of the Heart) (1982)
 * Go West - We Close Our Eyes (1985)
 * Morrissey - Everyday Is Like Sunday (1988)
 * Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels (1985)

Others

 * The first removed haircut design for Niko was a cut that seemed to resemble helmet hair.
 * The second removed haircut design for Niko was a buzz cut.
 * The Well Stacked Pizza Co. was originally meant to return, but was removed before release. Outside Pizza This, the logo can still be seen and employees in the Alderney branch have "Well Stacked Pizza Co." on the back of their shirts. This may also indicate that this was once the original location for one of the stores.
 * According to an early in-game preview by Official PlayStation Magazine Italy (dated May 2007), a city bus service was available for Niko to use, with a bus schedule popping up after walking to a bus stop. A bus driver character model is also found in the in-game files. Occasionally, an operating bus with the driver will be seen exiting the runway roads of Francis International Airport, however, if the player attempts to get in, the driver is 'pulled' from the bus.GTAIV-Radar-Beta.png
 * The Radar was very different: the health and armor bars weren't represented on the minimap, the Manual-enter waypoint route didn't exist, and the waypoint map icon was the same from GTA San Andreas.
 * Niko would have been able to get limo rides just like taxi rides.
 * According to the model names of Roman's taxi depot, he was originally supposed to use limos. This may have a connection with the limo rides mentioned above.
 * Niko could originally bring prostitutes to his home, as seen in pre-release screenshots.
 * Originally, the bailing out animation involved Niko diving forward, as seen in the second trailer.
 * Niko had these three contacts inside his phone: Cab, City, and Dock.
 * Snow was a weather condition, but it is only seen as an unused scenario for pedestrian behavior in the game files . However, if the player leaves Niko sitting there for a bit, they may see him rubbing his hands and warming them, showing that the weather is cold. It would also change the player and the pedestrians effects if they drive their vehicles or walk, such as a higher chances of crashing into other vehicles and would also slide if they fall down.
 * Developers originally considered letting players purchase music by going to an in-game record shop and for Niko to have an MP3 player, but both ideas were cut.
 * Niko's cell phone had a different shape.
 * The United Liberty Paper contact's office was much dirtier as seen in the second trailer.
 * Higgins Helitours was called Magnum Helitours. There is a calendar in Brucie Kibbutz' garage with the Magnum Helitours logo on it. (This can be seen in multiplayer and Brucie's Car Theft missions as the garage is open.)
 * Car modifications from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were planned to be available in GTA IV but postponed until Grand Theft Auto V.
 * The interior of The Peep Hole looked different, as seen in a screenshot.
 * According to the in-game files (pc\textures\proc_mail.wtd), Niko's original name on the internet was Niko666, in the files, Niko also originally was going to do missions about stealing the Dukes and Manana for an unknown person called "Some Internet Guy", this was cut for unknown reasons.
 * According to unused dialogue, Niko would originally be able to go inside Fanny Crab's and order food, but this feature was removed.
 * The classic death animation from the 3D Universe was meant to be in the game, but it was replaced with Ragdoll Physics. This can be seen when dodging a melee attack, then following a counter-attack with any melee weapon; or sniping NPCs from far away.
 * A fast food restaurant called Ping's, where Niko would order food, was in the beta, but was cut and replaced into Grand Theft Auto V .
 * A café restaurant called Rockstar Café was cut and was renamed Superstar Café, however, the beta name is still on the employees' outfits.
 * The player could originally purchase food from the Superstar Café during free roam. In the final version, the player can see the map icon of the café once entering it for the first time, but they can't interact with the waitress, which might imply this.
 * Playboy X's Penthouse was very different.
 * According to cut audio files, Niko could originally purchase ice cream from the vendors.
 * Helping police officers catch NPCs was originally going to initiate special audio files from the officers and also have unknown effects on gameplay, possibly awarding the player with the 'Good Citizen Bonus' from GTA Vice City and GTA Liberty City Stories.
 * The explosion and fire effects were different.
 * The cover system on foot and while crouching was very different.
 * According to the american.gxt file, Niko would have been able to order a new phone from Tinkle's website online.
 * The Drive-By Shooting had a different animation.
 * A small part of the mission Final Destination is seen in the "Move up, ladies" trailer. In the trailer, Niko is seen wearing a suit from Perseus, though the only Perseus shops in Liberty City are both in Algonquin. At this point in the game, the player can only access Broker, Dukes, and Bohan, which suggests that in the beta, the mission originally took place later in the game or that a Perseus store was located in Broker.
 * There were no taunts for Niko to the police when he got busted in the beta version, much like the development of GTA San Andreas, but this idea ended up being removed from the final version of the game, as he will often insult the officer who arrested him. The same situation was originally also implemented for the two DLCs.
 * Mr. Fuk's Rice Box was supposed to be available in free roam and could be entered at any time. The interior of this can still be seen if the player plays the game with low frame rate while not on a mission. However, a glitch in a mission, in which the restaurant itself is featured, may cause it to be temporarily accessible.
 * There was an unused phone call between Niko and Roman about Roman having an affair with Mallorie, to which the player can choose to tell the truth or lie to Mallorie. The video can be seen here.
 * The Second unused phone call is between Niko and Mallorie, in which Mallorie talks about her affair with Vlad. The video can be seen here.
 * Another unused phone call is Helping Roman Gamble, the player can choose Yes or No. The video can be seen here.
 * According to the american.gxt file, there used to be unused graphical settings; these include: Pedestrian Density, Dynamic Range, Level Of Detail, Light Distance, Reflection Detail and Screen Position.

The Lost and Damned

 * The Lost MC Clubhouse originally had a newer exterior; it had white walls with the door moved more to the right and it was also much smaller, which can be noticed in several early pictures.
 * The Fight Club was supposed to appear, but was introduced in The Ballad of Gay Tony instead.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * Armando would have been able to sell every weapon in the game from his gun van, including the Desert Eagle and the Micro Uzi.
 * The new Vladivostok FM playlist was meant to be on its own station called EuroDANCE FM, as seen in the folder holding the playlist.
 * Also, Jonathan Peters' song was originally supposed to play on Electro-Choc, not on Vladivostok FM.