Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a series of action and adventure video games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later games were developed with the guidance of Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies, and Aaron Garbut. The series is mainly made by Rockstar North, a British game development company that was previously called DMA Design. The games are published by Rockstar Games, its American parent company. The name "Grand Theft Auto" refers to stealing cars in the United States.
In the games, players explore open worlds where they can complete missions to advance the story and participate in side activities. Much of the gameplay involves driving and shooting, with some role-playing and stealth elements. The series also includes styles from older beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era. The games are set in imaginary cities that are based on real places, such as New York City, San Francisco, and Miami, across different time periods from the early 1960s to the 2010s. The first game included three cities—Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City—but later games focus on one main setting and expand on these locations. Each game follows a different main character who tries to climb through the criminal world for various reasons, often involving betrayal. Some actors and musicians have voiced characters in the games, including Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, and others. A few celebrities, like Lazlow Jones and Dr. Dre, have also appeared as themselves in the games.
DMA Design started the series with the 1997 game Grand Theft Auto. As of 2020, the series includes seven main games and four expansion packs. The third main game, Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, was a major milestone because it was the first game in the series to use a three-dimensional environment. Later games followed this format and received widespread praise. These games influenced other open-world games and led to the term "Grand Theft Auto clone" for similar titles.
The series has been highly praised by critics, with the main 3D games often ranked among the greatest and best-selling video games. The series has sold nearly 465 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises. In 2006, Grand Theft Auto was listed as a British design icon in the Great British Design Quest by the BBC and the Design Museum. In 2013, The Telegraph named Grand Theft Auto one of Britain's most successful exports. The series has also been controversial because of its mature themes, violence, and removed content. It is also one of the highest-grossing media franchises in history.
Series history
The Grand Theft Auto series is divided into separate fictional worlds, each named after the main graphics technology used during its development. The original Grand Theft Auto, its expansions, and its sequel are part of the "2D universe." Grand Theft Auto III and its sequels belong to the "3D universe." Grand Theft Auto IV, its expansions, and Grand Theft Auto V are part of the "HD universe." Each universe is considered distinct, with only brand names, place names, and background characters shared between them.
The first game in the series, Grand Theft Auto, was released for MS-DOS and Windows in November 1997. It was later released for the PlayStation in 1998 and the Game Boy Color in 1999. Grand Theft Auto 2 was released for Windows in 1999 and later received versions for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color.
The PlayStation 2 featured three main games from the series, which were later released on other platforms. A deal between Take-Two Interactive and Sony Computer Entertainment made these games exclusive to the PlayStation 2 for a limited time before they were available on Windows and the Xbox. Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, used 3D graphics instead of the 2D graphics from the first two games. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, released in 2002, was the first game to include a speaking protagonist, voiced by Ray Liotta. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, released in 2004, added features like character customization and a large map covering three cities and surrounding rural areas.
Two main games were released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Grand Theft Auto IV, released in 2008, focused on realism and detail, removed some customization features, and added an online multiplayer mode. Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, featured three playable characters. It was a major success and broke multiple records. It was later re-released with improvements in 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in 2015 for Windows. Versions for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released in 2022.
On February 4, 2022, Rockstar confirmed that a new game in the series was being developed. In September 2022, leaked footage of the game was shared online, but Rockstar expressed disappointment with how it was shown and stated it would not affect development long-term. In December 2023, the game was officially named Grand Theft Auto VI, with a planned release date of 2025 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It was later delayed to November 19, 2026.
The Grand Theft Auto series includes many additional games and expansion packs. In 1999, the original game received two expansions: Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, which featured a fictional version of London, new missions, and characters. Grand Theft Auto Advance, released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, used a top-down perspective similar to the first two games and served as a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III. Three games were released for the PlayStation Portable: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005, a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006, a prequel to Vice City), and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009, set in the same world as Grand Theft Auto IV but unrelated to it). Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories were later released for the PlayStation 2, while Chinatown Wars was first released for the Nintendo DS and later for the PlayStation Portable. In 2009, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony were released as expansion packs for Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360. A partnership between Rockstar and Microsoft made these games exclusive to the Xbox 360 for a limited time. Both expansions were later released for the PlayStation 3 and Windows as part of a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.
Many games in the series have been released on mobile devices. Chinatown Wars was released for iOS in 2010 and for Android and Fire OS in 2014. For their 10th anniversaries, Grand Theft Auto III was released for iOS and Android in 2011, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released for iOS and Android in 2012. In 2013, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was ported to iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, and later released for the Xbox 360 in 2014 and the PlayStation 3 in 2015. In 2015, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was released for iOS, Android, and Fire OS.
Grand Theft Auto Double Pack, released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, includes Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, a compilation of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was first released for the Xbox in 2005 and later for the PlayStation 2, Windows, Mac OS X, and PlayStation 4. The Trilogy was also used to replace the original version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which was pulled from shelves due to a controversial mod called Hot Coffee. In 2021, Rockstar announced a remastered version of the Trilogy using the Unreal Engine, titled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. It was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in November 2021, and for Android and iOS in December 2023.
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is a compilation of The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, two expansion packs for Grand Theft Auto IV. It was released for the Xbox 360 in October 2009 and for the PlayStation 3 and Windows in April 2010. Microsoft added the compilation to its backwards compatibility list for Xbox One in February 2017. A standalone version of Episodes from Liberty City for Windows was later discontinued and replaced by a single-player-only version of Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition in 2020.
Related media
The Grand Theft Auto series has been adapted into different formats. A book titled Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto, written by David Kushner, was published in 2012. It tells the story of how the game series was created. In March 2015, BBC Two announced The Gamechangers, a 90-minute documentary-style drama about the development of Grand Theft Auto. Directed by Owen Harris and written by James Wood, the film features Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar president Sam Houser and Bill Paxton as Jack Thompson, a lawyer who was disbarred. In May 2015, Rockstar sued the BBC for trademark infringement, claiming they had no role in the film’s creation and had failed to contact the BBC to resolve the issue. The film first aired on BBC Two on September 15, 2015.
In 2006, McFarland & Company published The Meaning and Culture of Grand Theft Auto, edited by Nate Garrelts. This 264-page book includes essays about the Grand Theft Auto series to help audiences understand the games and highlight the importance of careful game criticism. The book has two parts: the first discusses controversies related to the series, and the second analyzes the games without focusing on controversy.
Roger Corman, who produced the unrelated 1977 film Grand Theft Auto, claimed that no film adaptations of the video game series could be made. In 2017, he said he sued the "video game manufacturer who stole the idea" and that they "settled out of court and gave me some money." He stated he still owns the rights but is unsure due to unclear contract language, and his lawyers are reviewing the contract. Take-Two Interactive responded, stating it owns all film rights related to the Grand Theft Auto series and will take legal action against anyone trying to misuse the intellectual property. The company also mentioned it has successfully stopped similar attempts in the past.
Common elements
Each game in this series lets players take the role of a criminal in a big city. Over time, the character usually rises in rank within organized crime. Players complete missions given by powerful figures in the city’s criminal world to move forward in the story. Violence, like assassinations, is common. Sometimes, the game includes activities such as driving taxis, fighting fires, racing cars, driving buses, or learning to fly helicopters and planes.
In later games, especially those after Grand Theft Auto 2, the story becomes more detailed. The player’s character must overcome a difficult situation, such as being betrayed and left for dead, which pushes them to climb the criminal ranks and achieve success by the end of the game.
The Grand Theft Auto series is part of a type of game called open world games. These games give players a lot of freedom. Unlike traditional action games, which follow a strict path, Grand Theft Auto lets players choose which missions to do and how to interact with characters. The game’s cities are inspired by Turbo Esprit and can be explored freely at any time. These cities include buildings with small side missions, but some missions follow a main story that must be completed in order to unlock new areas.
Starting with Grand Theft Auto III, the games include more voice acting and radio stations. These features include music, radio hosts, commercials, and American culture. Players can drive to music, just like in real life.
Vehicles in the game help create a realistic city environment. Pedestrians follow traffic rules, and the game adds details to make the world feel open and real. Similar games, like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and Lego City Undercover, use this style but focus on different themes, such as comedy or police work.
Criminal actions in the game are noticed by the police. When players commit crimes, they earn a "wanted level," shown by stars. A small crime might give one star, while serious crimes, like shooting a police officer, give more stars. The more stars a player has, the stronger the police response. At one star, a few cars might chase the player. At five or six stars, tanks and helicopters join the chase. Some missions automatically give a wanted level, which players must clear to finish the mission. Avoiding police can sometimes raise the wanted level further. Players can reduce their wanted level by hiding, spending in-game money at certain places, or dying and restarting at a hospital. If they die, they lose money, weapons, and other items.
Most Grand Theft Auto games take place in fictional cities that copy real U.S. cities from different time periods. The games are divided into three groups: 2D, 3D, and HD. Each group has its own version of cities, brands, and characters, even though some names and characters are shared.
Liberty City, based on New York City, is one of the first cities in the series. It has two large land areas, a central island, and smaller islands. It also includes a parody of New Jersey called New Guernsey. The city is split into districts inspired by real places.
A new version of Liberty City was introduced in Grand Theft Auto III (2001). This version is loosely based on New York but includes elements from other U.S. cities like Philadelphia and Chicago. The city has three main islands: Portland, Staunton Island, and Shoreside Vale. These islands are connected by bridges and tunnels. A tunnel leading out of the city exists but is not usable by players. This version of Liberty City also appears in earlier games set in different years.
Another version of Liberty City appears in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) and its expansions. This version closely resembles New York and has four main areas: Broker (Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens), Bohan (The Bronx), and Algonquin (Manhattan). These areas are connected by bridges, tunnels, and a subway system. A separate area called Alderney, similar to New Jersey, is also included.
San Andreas, based on San Francisco, is another original city in the series. It has two main areas: a large northern part with 15 districts and a smaller island in the southeast used for docks. The northern area is divided by a valley called Aye Valley.
Controversies
According to The Guinness World Records 2008 and 2009 Gamer's Edition, this is the most controversial video game series in history. Over 4,000 articles have been written about it, including claims that the games promote violence, influence players negatively, and are linked to real-life crimes.
The series became controversial with its first game. In Britain, Germany, and France, the game was criticized for its "extreme violence." Brazil banned it completely. A publicist named Max Clifford helped spread attention-grabbing stories in newspapers to increase sales of the first game.
The controversy grew again with the release of Grand Theft Auto III. The 3D graphics made the violence look more realistic. Players could pay prostitutes to restore their health or kill them to get money.
Critics also pointed out that the game focuses on illegal activities, unlike other games that feature "heroic" characters. The main character can commit crimes, including killing police and soldiers, and face only temporary consequences.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City also faced criticism. One mission required players to start a gang war between Haitian and Cuban gangs. Haitian and Cuban groups criticized the game for this. Jean-Robert Lafortune of the Haitian American Grassroots Coalition said, "The game shouldn't be designed to destroy human life or an ethnic group." A phrase in the game, "kill the Haitian dickheads," was changed after a lawsuit threat.
San Andreas was criticized for its "gangster" elements, such as drugs, prostitution, and murder. It faced more criticism when an interactive sex minigame, called "Hot Coffee," was found in the game's code even though it had been removed. Modders (people who modify games) created unofficial patches to enable the minigame. This led to an AO (Adults Only) rating, and the game was re-released with a M (Mature) rating. A class action lawsuit was also filed against Take-Two Interactive.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) criticized the game for allowing drunk driving. They wanted the rating changed to "AO" because they believed it was inappropriate for teenagers. In the final version, drunk driving is a crime that gives the player a wanted rating, and the character says it is a "bad idea."
In later expansions, such as The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, drunk driving was not allowed. However, it returned in Grand Theft Auto V.
The Lost and Damned expansion was criticized by Common Sense Media for a scene with full-frontal male nudity. They said the game was more controversial than earlier versions.
Nintendo once wanted Rockstar Games to make a Grand Theft Auto game for their platform. However, Nintendo did not want a game for children, and Rockstar did not want to make a game they would not normally create.
A drug-dealing minigame in Grand Theft Auto V allowed players to sell six types of drugs. Profit depended on market conditions and the area where the player dealt.
Grand Theft Auto V faced controversy for a mission called "By the Book," which included scenes of torture such as kneecapping, electrocution, and waterboarding. Players had to perform these acts to progress. UK-based charity Freedom from Torture criticized the game, saying it forced players to take on the role of a torturer.
The game has also been accused of sexism. The Los Angeles Times said the game's portrayals of women were uncreative and hurt the game experience. Edge noted that female characters were often treated disrespectfully, similar to how male characters were portrayed. Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser said the team sometimes overlooked the portrayal of women but believed the focus on male characters fit the story.
Several celebrities sued Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive for allegedly violating their intellectual property or personality rights, including Daz Dillinger, Karen Gravano, and Lindsay Lohan.
Former lawyer Jack Thompson tried to hold the Grand Theft Auto series responsible for the deaths of two teenagers who claimed their actions were inspired by the game. Thompson was disbarred in 2008 and fined over $100,000.
In 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede sued Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Walmart, and Sony Computer Entertainment America for $246 million. Rockstar and Take-Two argued that the game's content was protected by the First Amendment. The lawsuit was dismissed, and Jack Thompson's attempt to move it to state court failed.
Reception
Since the release of Grand Theft Auto III in 2001, the Grand Theft Auto series has been very successful in terms of reviews and money earned. It has sold nearly 465 million copies, making it one of the most successful video game series ever.
In 2006, Grand Theft Auto was named one of Britain’s top 10 designs in the Great British Design Quest, an event organized by the BBC and the Design Museum. The game was listed among British design icons such as Concorde, Jaguar E-Type, Aston Martin DB5, Mini, World Wide Web, Tomb Raider, K2 telephone box, London tube map, AEC Routemaster bus, and Supermarine Spitfire.
The series has set many records. Guinness World Records awarded the series 10 world records in the Gamer’s Edition 2008. These include Most Guest Stars in a Video Game Series, Largest Voice Cast in a Video Game (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), Largest In-Game Soundtrack (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), and Most Successful Entertainment Launch of All Time (Grand Theft Auto V). Guinness World Records also ranked Grand Theft Auto third on their list of top 50 console games of all time, based on how much they affected people when they came out and how long they stayed popular. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is listed as the most successful game on the PlayStation 2 according to The Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer’s Edition.
Grand Theft Auto III, San Andreas, and Vice City are currently ranked 2nd, 5th, and 6th among the highest-rated PlayStation 2 games on Metacritic, respectively. Chinatown Wars is rated the best game on the Nintendo DS and the second best on the PlayStation Portable. Grand Theft Auto IV is currently ranked the second best game ever, with a score of 98, only behind The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Additionally, Vice City and Grand Theft Auto V are ranked 11th and 2nd among the best PC games of all time on Metacritic. The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony are currently placed 35th and 59th in the top Xbox 360 games.
Similar games
The release of Grand Theft Auto III is seen as a major moment in video game history. It changed the way games were made, similar to how Doom changed games almost 10 years earlier.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III, Yoshinori Ono, producer of the Street Fighter series, said, "It's not an overstatement to say that Grand Theft Auto III changed the industry. We can divide the time before and after its release into two different periods." In the same article, Todd Howard, director of Bethesda Game Studios, said, "A sign of a really great game is how many people try to copy it and fail. Many have tried to copy Grand Theft Auto III."
Later games that use similar driving and shooting features are called "Grand Theft Auto clones." Some reviewers even called the Driver series a clone, even though that series started years before Grand Theft Auto III was released. Grand Theft Auto clones are a type of 3D action-adventure game where players can drive any vehicle or use any weapon while exploring an open world. These games often include themes about violence and crime. Other games similar to Grand Theft Auto include Saints Row, Scarface: The World Is Yours, True Crime: Streets of LA, Watch Dogs, Sleeping Dogs, Just Cause, Mafia, and The Godfather.