Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later games were made with the help of Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies, and Aaron Garbut. The series is mainly developed by Rockstar North, a British company that was once called DMA Design. The games are published by Rockstar Games, its American parent company. The name "Grand Theft Auto" refers to stealing motor vehicles in the United States.
In GTA, players explore a large, open world. They can complete missions to advance the story and also do side activities. Most gameplay involves driving and shooting, with some role-playing and stealth elements. The series includes features from older beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era. The games are set in fictional cities that look like real ones, such as New York City, San Francisco, and Miami. The first game included three cities—Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City—but later games usually focus on one city and expand on these locations. Each game follows a different main character who tries to rise in the criminal world for various reasons, often involving betrayal. Many famous actors and musicians have voiced characters in the games, including Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, and others. Some real people, 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 in the series to use a three-dimensional environment. Later games followed this format and received high 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. All the main 3D games in the series are often ranked among the greatest and best-selling video games. The series has sold almost 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 faced controversy because of 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 level of graphics used in each era. 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 separate, with only brands, 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 ported to the PlayStation in 1998 and the Game Boy Color in 1999. Grand Theft Auto 2 was released in 1999 for Windows and later received ports for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color.
The PlayStation 2 had three main games from the series, all of which were re-released on other platforms. A deal between Take-Two Interactive and Sony Computer Entertainment made these games exclusive to the PlayStation 2 for a time before they were released on Windows and the Xbox. Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, moved from 2D graphics to 3D computer graphics. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, published in 2002, was the first game in the series to feature a speaking protagonist, voiced by Ray Liotta. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, released in 2004, introduced new 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, removing some customization features but adding an online multiplayer mode. Grand Theft Auto V, published in 2013, featured three playable protagonists. It was a major financial success, breaking 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 PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/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 leaked, and Rockstar expressed disappointment with how it was first shown but did not expect long-term effects on development. In December 2023, the game was officially announced as Grand Theft Auto VI, with a planned release date of 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It was later delayed to November 19, 2026.
The Grand Theft Auto series has 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 like the first two main 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 otherwise). Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories were later ported to the PlayStation 2, while Chinatown Wars was originally released for the Nintendo DS and later ported to 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 time. Both expansions focus on minor characters from the main game and 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 re-released for iOS and Android in 2011, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was re-released in 2012. In 2013, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was ported to iOS, Android, and Windows Phone and RT. The mobile version was later re-released for Xbox 360 in 2014 and for PlayStation 3 in 2015. In 2015, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was ported to 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 for the Xbox in 2005. It was later re-released for the PlayStation 2, Windows, Mac OS X, and PlayStation 4. The Trilogy also replaced the original version of San Andreas, which was removed from shelves due to the controversial Hot Coffee mod. In August 2021, a report suggested Rockstar Dundee was working on a remastered version of the Trilogy using Unreal Engine. Rockstar officially announced Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on October 8, 2021. The game includes 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 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 PlayStation 3 and Windows. Microsoft added Episodes from Liberty City to its backward compatibility list for Xbox One in February 2017. The standalone Windows version of Episodes from
Related media
The Grand Theft Auto series has been adapted into different formats beyond video games. A book titled Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto, written by David Kushner, was published in 2012. It describes the development of the series. In March 2015, BBC Two announced The Gamechangers, a 90-minute docudrama about the creation of the Grand Theft Auto video game series. 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 disbarred attorney. In May 2015, Rockstar sued the BBC for trademark infringement, stating they had no involvement in the film and had failed to contact the BBC to resolve the issue. The docudrama first aired on BBC Two on September 15, 2015.
In 2006, McFarland & Company published The Meaning and Culture of Grand Theft Auto, compiled by Nate Garrelts. This 264-page book includes essays to help audiences understand the Grand Theft Auto series and highlight the importance of careful game criticism. The book is divided into two sections: the first discusses controversies surrounding the series, while the second analyzes the games without focusing on controversies.
Roger Corman, who produced the unrelated 1977 film Grand Theft Auto, claimed that attempts to create a film adaptation of the video game series could not proceed. In 2017, he stated that he sued the "video game manufacturer who stole the idea" and that the case was settled out of court, with the company giving him money. Corman said he retains the rights to the film title but noted that his lawyers are reviewing the contract to confirm his ability to remake the film. Take-Two Interactive responded, stating that it owns all rights to films related to the Grand Theft Auto series and will take legal action against anyone attempting to misuse these rights. The company also mentioned it has successfully taken legal action against similar attempts in the past.
Common elements
Each game in this series lets the player take the role of a criminal in a big city. The player usually starts as someone who becomes more powerful in organized crime as the game progresses. The player receives missions from important people in the city's criminal world. These missions must be completed to move forward in the story. The games often include violent actions like assassinations. Sometimes, the player also drives taxis, fights fires, races on the street, drives buses, or learns to fly helicopters and planes.
In later games, especially those after Grand Theft Auto 2, the story becomes more detailed. The player must deal with difficult events, like being betrayed and left for dead. These events push 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 type of game called open world games. These games give players a lot of freedom to explore and choose their actions. Unlike traditional action games, which follow a strict path, Grand Theft Auto lets players pick which missions to do and how to interact with characters. The games are influenced by earlier titles like Turbo Esprit. Players can explore the game's cities freely at any time. These cities include buildings with small missions in addition to the main story. Some missions are required to unlock new areas in the game.
Starting with Grand Theft Auto III, the games include more voice acting and radio stations. These features include music, radio hosts, commercials, and examples of American culture.
Using vehicles in the game's city environment helps create a realistic city with people who follow traffic rules. Other details add to the game's atmosphere, similar to games like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and Lego City Undercover. These games have different focuses, such as less crime or switching the roles of police and criminals.
Criminal actions in the game are noticed by the police. When the player does illegal things, they may get a "wanted level," shown as up to five or six stars. A small crime, like hitting a pedestrian, might give one star. More serious crimes, like shooting a police officer, give more stars. As the number of stars increases, the police response becomes stronger. At one star, a few cars might chase the player. At five or six stars, tanks and helicopters might chase them. Some missions automatically give the player a wanted level, which must be cleared before completing the mission. Avoiding police can sometimes increase the wanted level. Players can remove their wanted level by hiding, spending in-game money at certain places, or dying and respawning at a hospital. If the player dies, they might lose money, weapons, or other items. The "wanted level" system is now common in many open world games.
Most Grand Theft Auto games are set in fictional versions of real U.S. cities from different time periods. The games are divided into three groups (2D, 3D, and HD), each with its own version of the cities. These groups share city names, brands, and background characters but are considered separate stories.
Liberty City, based on New York City, is one of the original cities in the series. It is the first setting players see. The city includes two large land areas, a central island, and smaller islands. It also includes a parody of New Jersey called New Guernsey. The city is divided into districts inspired by New York and New Jersey.
A redesigned version of Liberty City appears 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 Chicago. The city has three main islands that are unlocked as the story progresses. These islands are connected by bridges and tunnels. A tunnel leading out of the city is present but not usable by the player. This version of Liberty City also appears in earlier games, with changes to match different time periods. It is mentioned in other games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Another version of Liberty City appears 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 arranged like their real-life counterparts. The city also includes smaller islands and a separate land area called Alderney, which is not present in Chinatown Wars.
San Andreas, based on San Francisco, is another original city in the series. It is the second setting available to players. The city includes a large northern area divided into 15 districts and a smaller island in the southeast that acts as a dock area. The northern area is split by a valley that runs from east to west.
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 have been written about it, including claims that it makes violence seem acceptable, influences players negatively, and is linked to real-life crimes.
The series became controversial from its first game. In Britain, Germany, and France, the game 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 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 focused on illegal actions, unlike other games that feature "heroic" characters. The main character could commit crimes, including killing police and soldiers, and face only temporary consequences.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the sixth game in the series, faced criticism for a mission where players must start a gang war between Haitian and Cuban gangs. Haitian and Cuban groups opposed the game because of how it portrayed these communities. 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 character in the game said, "kill the Haitian dickheads," which led to changes in the game's subtitles after a lawsuit threat.
San Andreas was criticized for its "gangster" elements, such as drugs, prostitution, and murder. It received more attention after players discovered an interactive sex minigame called "Hot Coffee," which had been removed but remained in the game's code. Modders, or players who alter games, found the code and shared it online. This caused the game to get an "Adults Only" rating, and the publisher had to re-release it with a "Mature" rating. A lawsuit was also filed against the company.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) criticized San Andreas for allowing players to drive drunk. They wanted the game's rating changed to "Adults Only" 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 games, 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 pack was criticized for a scene with full-frontal male nudity. Common Sense Media, a group that reviews media for parents, warned that 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 that was not suitable 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 drugs, but the profit depended on the area and how well the player served that area.
Grand Theft Auto V faced criticism for a mission called "By the Book," which included graphic scenes of torture, such as kneecapping, electrocution, and waterboarding. Players had to perform these acts to progress. A UK charity, Freedom from Torture, criticized the game for making players take on the role of a torturer. The charity's leader said Rockstar North had "crossed a line" by forcing players to commit these acts.
The game has also been accused of sexism. The Los Angeles Times said the game's portrayals of women were uncreative and hurt the experience. Edge magazine noted that female characters were often treated disrespectfully, while male characters were also shown with violent stereotypes. Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser said the team sometimes overlooked how women were portrayed 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 using their names or images without permission.
Jack Thompson, a former lawyer, tried to hold Rockstar Games 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.
On October 20, 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede sued Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Walmart, and Sony for $246 million, claiming their children were inspired by Grand Theft Auto III. Rockstar and Take-Two argued that the game's content was protected by free speech laws. 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 critical reviews and sales. It 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, organized by the BBC and the Design Museum. The game was included in a list of 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 the Supermarine Spitfire.
The series has broken 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 initial impact and lasting influence. 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. 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 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 event in the history of video games. It is considered a groundbreaking title, similar to the release of Doom nearly ten years earlier.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III, Yoshinori Ono, the producer of the Street Fighter series, stated, "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 distinct periods." In the same article, Todd Howard, director of Bethesda Game Studios, said, "A truly great game is judged by how many people try to copy or recreate it but fail. Many have tried to copy Grand Theft Auto III."
Games that follow the same style of driving and shooting are often called "Grand Theft Auto clones." Some reviewers even labeled the Driver series as clones, even though it began 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 an open world. These games often include themes of violence and crime. Examples of 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.