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 help of Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies, and Aaron Garbut. The games are mainly made by a British company called Rockstar North (formerly known as DMA Design) and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series comes from a term used in the United States for stealing motor vehicles.
In the games, players explore an open world where they can complete missions to advance the story and participate in side activities. Most of the gameplay involves driving and shooting, with some role-playing and stealth elements. The series also includes gameplay styles from older beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era. The games are set in fictional cities inspired by real-life locations, such as New York City, San Francisco, and Miami, and take place in different time periods from the early 1960s to the 2010s. The first game’s map included three cities—Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City—but later games usually focus on one 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 themes of betrayal. Many actors and musicians have voiced characters in the games, including Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, William Fichtner, James Woods, Debbie Harry, Axl Rose, and Peter Fonda. Some celebrities, like Lazlow Jones, Phil Collins, Dr. Dre, and Anderson .Paak, 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 introduced a 3D environment for the first time. 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 received high praise from critics, with all the main 3D games often ranked among the best-selling and most acclaimed 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 included Grand Theft Auto among Britain’s most successful exports. The series has also faced controversy due to its adult 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 different fictional worlds, named after the main graphics technology used in each time period. The original Grand Theft Auto, its expansions, and its sequel are part of the "2D universe." Grand Theft Auto III and its sequels are part of the "3D universe." Grand Theft Auto IV, its expansions, and Grand Theft Auto V are part of the "HD universe." Each universe is separate, 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 in 1999 for Windows and later received versions for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color.
The PlayStation 2 had three main series games, 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 being released on Windows and the Xbox. In 2001, Grand Theft Auto III changed from 2D graphics to 3D computer graphics. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, released in 2002, was the first game in the series to feature a speaking main character, voiced by Ray Liotta. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, released in 2004, added new features such as 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 included an online multiplayer mode. Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, had three playable main characters. It was very successful and broke several 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 and S were released in 2022.
On February 4, 2022, Rockstar confirmed that development of a new game in the series was "well underway." In September 2022, in-development footage of the game was leaked. Rockstar said it was "extremely disappointed" by how the footage was first shown but did not expect long-term effects on development. 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. The release 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 expansion packs: Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961. These games used a fictional version of London as their setting and included new missions and characters. Grand Theft Auto Advance, released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, had a top-down perspective similar to the first two main games and used the same setting as Grand Theft Auto III, serving as a prequel. 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, which shared the same setting as Grand Theft Auto IV but was otherwise unrelated). Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories were later released for the PlayStation 2, while Chinatown Wars was originally 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 for the Xbox 360 as expansion packs to Grand Theft Auto IV. A partnership between Rockstar and Microsoft made these games exclusive to the Xbox 360 for a limited time. Both expansions focused on minor characters from the main game and took place at the same time as Grand Theft Auto IV. They were later released for the PlayStation 3 and Windows as part of a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, also available on Xbox 360.
Many games in the series have been released for 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 released for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone and RT. The mobile version was later released for the Xbox 360 in 2014, the year of the game’s 10th anniversary, and for 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, included both 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 in 2005 for the Xbox. It was later released for the PlayStation 2, Windows, Mac OS X, and PlayStation 4. The Trilogy also replaced the original version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which was removed from stores due to the controversial Hot Coffee mod. In August 2021, a report suggested that Rockstar Dundee was working on a remastered version of the trilogy using the Unreal Engine. After some leaks, Rockstar officially announced Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on October 8, 2021. This version included graphical and gameplay upgrades and replaced existing versions on digital retailers. It was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 11, 2021, and for Android and iOS on December 14, 2023.
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is a compilation of two expansion packs for Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. It was released on October 29, 2009, for the Xbox 360 and on April 13, 2010, for the PlayStation 3 and Windows. Microsoft added Episodes from Liberty City to its backward compatibility list for Xbox One platforms in February 2017. The standalone Windows version of Episodes from Liberty City was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by a single-player-only version of Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition.
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 and published in 2012, tells the story of the series' development. In March 2015, BBC Two announced The Gamechangers, a 90-minute docudrama about the creation of Grand Theft Auto. Directed by Owen Harris and written by James Wood, the drama features Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar president Sam Houser and Bill Paxton as Jack Thompson, a lawyer who was banned from practicing law. In May 2015, Rockstar took legal action against the BBC for using the name without permission, stating they had no role in the film's development and had tried but 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, a 264-page book compiled by Nate Garrelts. The book includes essays about the Grand Theft Auto series, aiming to help audiences understand the games and highlight the importance of careful game criticism. The book is divided into two parts: the first discusses controversies related to the series, while the second analyzes the games without focusing on the controversies.
Roger Corman, who produced the 1977 film Grand Theft Auto, claimed that no film based on the video game series could be made. In 2017, he said he sued the "video game manufacturer who stole the idea" and reached a settlement without going to court, receiving money as compensation. He stated he still owns the rights but noted the contract language was unclear, and his lawyers were reviewing it to confirm his ability to remake the film. Take-Two Interactive responded, stating it owns all rights to films related to the Grand Theft Auto series and will take legal action against anyone trying to use the name for a new film. 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 receive missions from leaders in the city's criminal groups. These missions must be completed to move forward in the story. Violence, such as assassinations, is common. Sometimes, players also drive taxis, fight fires, race on the streets, drive buses, or learn to fly helicopters and planes.
In later games, especially after Grand Theft Auto 2, the story becomes more detailed. The player's character faces a difficult event, like being betrayed and left for dead. This event motivates the character to climb the criminal ranks and eventually succeed by the end of the game.
The Grand Theft Auto series is part of a game type 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 complete and how to interact with other characters. The game’s cities can be explored freely at any time, inspired by earlier games like Turbo Esprit. These cities include buildings with small missions in addition to the main story. Some missions follow a strict, main storyline that must be completed to unlock new areas.
Games like Grand Theft Auto III and later versions include more voice acting and radio stations. These features include music, radio hosts, commercials, and American culture.
Vehicles in the game help create a realistic city environment. Pedestrians usually follow traffic rules. Other details add to the game’s open-ended feel, similar to games like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and Lego City Undercover.
Criminal actions in the game are noticed by the police. Players earn a "wanted level" based on their crimes, shown as stars. A small crime, like hitting a pedestrian, might give one star, while killing an officer might give more. As the number of stars increases, the police response becomes stronger. At five or six stars, tanks and helicopters chase the player. Some missions automatically give a wanted level, which players must resolve to finish the mission. Avoiding police can raise the wanted level further. Players can reduce their wanted level by hiding, spending in-game money at certain places, or dying and respawning at a hospital. The "wanted level" system is now common in similar games.
Most Grand Theft Auto games take place in fictional versions of real U.S. cities, set in different time periods. The games are divided into three universes (2D, 3D, and HD), each with its own version of the setting. These universes share city names, brands, and background characters but are otherwise separate.
Liberty City, based on New York City, is one of the original cities in the series. It includes two large land areas and a central island similar to Manhattan. A nearby area called New Guernsey (a parody of New Jersey) is also part of the city. The city is divided into districts inspired by New York and New Jersey.
A redesigned version of Liberty City appeared in Grand Theft Auto III (set in 2001). This version is loosely based on New York and includes elements from other U.S. cities like Philadelphia and Boston. 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 appeared in earlier games, with changes to reflect different time periods.
A third version of Liberty City was introduced in Grand Theft Auto IV and its expansions (set in 2008) and in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (set in 2009). This version closely resembles New York and includes four main areas: Broker (Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens), Bohan (The Bronx), and Algonquin (Manhattan). These areas are connected by bridges, tunnels, and a subway system.
San Andreas, based on San Francisco, is another original city in the series. It includes a large northern area divided into 15 districts and a smaller island in the southeast. The northern area is split by Aye Valley, which runs from east to west.
A reimagined version of San Andreas was introduced in later games, but the text is incomplete.
Controversies
According to The Guinness World Records 2008 and 2009 Gamer's Edition, the Grand Theft Auto series is the most controversial video game series in history. Over 4,000 articles about it have been published, including claims that it makes violence seem acceptable, influences players negatively, and is linked to real-life crimes.
The game caused controversy even when it first came out. In Britain, Germany, and France, it was criticized for its "extreme violence," and Brazil banned it completely. A publicist named Max Clifford created attention-grabbing stories in newspapers to help sell the first game.
The controversy grew again with the release of Grand Theft Auto III. This was partly because the 3D graphics made the violence look more realistic. Players could also 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, such as killing police and soldiers, but faces only temporary consequences.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the sixth game in the series, also faced criticism. One mission required players to start a gang war between Haitian and Cuban gangs. Haitian and Cuban groups opposed to discrimination criticized the game. Jean-Robert Lafortune of the Haitian American Grassroots Coalition said the game should not "destroy human life" or "destroy an ethnic group." A character in the game said "kill the Haitian dickheads," which led to the word "Haitians" being removed from the game's subtitles after a lawsuit threat.
San Andreas was criticized for its "gangster" elements, including drugs, prostitution, and murder. It faced more criticism after a hidden interactive sex minigame called "Hot Coffee" was discovered in the game's code. Players could access this minigame through unofficial patches, which led to the game receiving an "Adults Only" rating. Take-Two Interactive had to re-release the game to restore its "Mature" rating. A class-action lawsuit was also filed against Take-Two because of the "Hot Coffee" code.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) criticized San Andreas for allowing players to drive while drunk. MADD asked the ESRB to change the game's rating to "Adults Only" because they believed it was inappropriate for 17-year-olds. In the final version of the game, drunk driving is a crime that gives the player a wanted rating, and the character loudly says it is a "bad idea."
In later games, such as The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, players could not drive while drunk. However, this feature returned in Grand Theft Auto V.
The Lost and Damned expansion pack for Grand Theft Auto IV was criticized by Common Sense Media for including a scene with full-frontal male nudity. They said the game was "more controversial than its predecessors" because of this content.
Nintendo wanted to make Grand Theft Auto, and Rockstar Games wanted to create a game for Nintendo's platform. Nintendo did not want a Grand Theft Auto game for children, and Rockstar did not want to make a game it would not normally create.
There was controversy over a drug-dealing minigame in Grand Theft Auto V. Players could sell six types of drugs, but their profit depended on market conditions and how well they served an area.
A segment in Grand Theft Auto V caused controversy for scenes showing player-initiated torture. In the mission "By the Book," players must perform acts like kneecapping, electrocution, and waterboarding.
The UK-based charity Freedom from Torture criticized the use of torture scenes in Grand Theft Auto V. The charity's CEO said Rockstar North had "crossed a line" by making players act as torturers.
The game has also been accused of sexism. The Los Angeles Times said the game's portrayal of women was uncreative and hurt the player 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 how women were shown but felt the focus on male characters fit the story.
Several celebrities, including Daz Dillinger, Karen Gravano, and Lindsay Lohan, sued Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive for allegedly violating their intellectual property or personality rights.
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 Grand Theft Auto III. Thompson was disbarred in 2008 and fined over $100,000 by the Florida Bar Association.
In 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede sued Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Walmart, and Sony for $246 million, claiming their sons were inspired by Grand Theft Auto III to commit a murder. Rockstar and Take-Two argued that the game's content was protected by the First Amendment's free-speech clause. 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, both in terms of critical acclaim and financial achievement. The series has sold nearly 465 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises in history.
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 included in a list of British design icons, which also featured items such as Concorde, the Jaguar E-Type, the Aston Martin DB5, the Mini, the World Wide Web, Tomb Raider, the K2 telephone box, the London tube map, the AEC Routemaster bus, and the Supermarine Spitfire.
The series has set many records. In 2008, Guinness World Records awarded the series 10 world records in the Gamer's Edition. These records 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 the top 50 console games of all time, based on initial impact and lasting influence. According to the 2009 Gamer's Edition, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is listed as the most successful game on the PlayStation 2.
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. 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 rated 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 listed as 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 is considered a groundbreaking game in the video game industry, similar to the release of Doom about ten years earlier.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III, Yoshinori Ono, the producer of the Street Fighter series, said, "It would be no exaggeration to say that Grand Theft Auto III changed the industry. We can divide the time before and after its release into two separate periods." In the same article, Todd Howard, the director of Bethesda Game Studios, stated, "A truly great game is shown by how many people try to copy or imitate it but fail. Many people have tried to copy Grand Theft Auto III, but few have succeeded."
Later games that follow the same style of driving and shooting are often called "Grand Theft Auto clones." Some reviewers even called the Driver series clones, 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. In these games, players can drive any vehicle or use any weapon while exploring a large, open world. These games often include themes of violence and crime. Other games with similar features include Saints Row, Scarface: The World Is Yours, True Crime: Streets of LA, Watch Dogs, Sleeping Dogs, Just Cause, Mafia, and The Godfather.