About
Grand Theft Auto 2 is the 1999 top-down action sequel from DMA Design (later Rockstar North), set in a retro-futuristic city where the player completes missions for rival criminal gangs while building respect with each one. It refined the open-ended, free-roaming sandbox style of the original and introduced the gang respect system and a save-by-payment mechanic. The game was later offered as a free download by Rockstar and was delisted from the Steam store in 2026, leaving no remaster or current sale; it remains playable offline for those who own it.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- gta2.exe
- Options
- WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput=n,b" %command%
- Needs files
- none beyond the binary
Proton
- Version
- proton_experimental
- Winetricks
- —
⚙ Setup notes
Game: DMA Design's 1999 top-down GTA, built on the GTA2 v9.6 engine; gta2.exe is the standard launcher of an official v9.6 install.
Recommended setup: The community GTA2DeckEdition modpack (by btpf) is the easiest path on Deck. Extract it into the root of an existing GTA2 v9.6 install — it bundles FrontendFix, ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix, GInput2 controller support, a quicksave function and a map/mod manager via Ultimate ASI Loader (placed as dinput.dll). Add either gta2.exe or the modpack's GTA 2 Launcher.exe as a non-Steam game.
Launch options: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput=n,b" %command% so the ASI loader's dinput.dll is honored under Proton.
Display: Set screen type to borderless windowed at the Deck's native 1280x800 in settings.xml — fullscreen tends to crash on launch.
Controller: GInput2 gives the game native XInput gamepad handling; the Deck pad works without Steam Input once the modpack is applied. Vanilla gta2.exe alone has weaker/no controller support.
Proton: Runs under Proton Experimental (or a recent GE-Proton).
The one thing to know
Supply your own copy: GTA2 was delisted from Steam in 2026. Use a GTA2 v9.6 install you legitimately own; the modpack and fixes are applied on top of it.
Version-locked: FrontendFix and the Deck Edition modpack only work with GTA2 v9.6 — older builds will not load the ASI plugins.
Fix needed: Vanilla gta2.exe runs but is awkward on Deck (display crashes in fullscreen, weak controller). Apply the GTA2DeckEdition modpack + the WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput=n,b" %command% launch option and set borderless windowed for a smooth experience.
Binary: gta2.exe confirmed as the standard v9.6 launcher; modpack alternatively ships GTA 2 Launcher.exe.
Community guides
Write-ups and threads from people who got this (or a similar) game running. deckport links to them — it doesn't reproduce them.
Get the artwork
deckport never hosts game images. Open this game on SteamGridDB, pick
the cover / hero / logo / icon you like, and drop them into the
game folder under .deckport-art/ before you push it to the
Deck. The importer files them under the right names automatically.
Run it on your Deck
Two files: the one-time importer (deckport.py) in your
Deck's home folder, and this game's install helper. Copy the game
into ~/Games and run the helper with Steam closed — it
writes the recipe (binary, launch options, Proton version)
and registers the shortcut with artwork.