20 Grand Theft Auto Facts You DIDN'T Know

Lamar Was Almost Playable

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

As you obviously know, the final mission in GTA V offers three possible endings. Option A and B means you either kill Michael or Trevor, taking 3 playable protagonists to 2 playable. Option C however, allows all three main characters to live, though we all assumed it meant Franklin died judging by it being called Deathwish. But data uncovered in the games files reveals that Option C originally did go that way. Franklin was meant to die, and Lamar Davis would have taken his place as a fully playable character in the post-game. This scrapped twist would have dramatically changed the game's dynamic and final roster, cementing Lamar with more than just that one brilliant scene I can literally never quote.

Frozen Alien in Prologue

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

This is tough, because although its a pretty well known secret at this point, it is SO infamous that we HAVE to talk about it a little bit. During the prologues getaway mission with the gang, the game directs you to follow the path across the railroad tracks. Instead of following that route, turn right. Drive under the nearby bridge. If you look down into the river, youll spot a frozen alien trapped beneath the ice. Boom, aliens are canon.

A Lifetime of Bad Press

Grand Theft Auto (1998)

Did you know GTA was already surrounded by controversy back in 1997, even before it was released? Inspired by American action films like Speed, the game had its vision and just needed some buzz. To stir up interest, DMA (pre-Rockstar) enlisted British publicist Max Clifford, who planted exaggerated stories in UK tabloids, claiming GTA encouraged hit-and-runs and assaults. The controversy fueled public curiosity, and the original GTA went on to sell three million copies. I think it was probably a good call, based on how much were all sitting on the edge of our seats for GTA 6.

Prototype at Birth

Grand Theft Auto (1997)

Theres always gonna be those urban legends, like Salvador Dali fighting over the dinner table and sending a lobster flying across the room where it landed on a phone, and he looked at it and said hmmm, thats not bad. But unlike that one, this one isnt complete bulls**t. The entire GTA series originated from a playtest of an early Rockstar project called Race 'n Chase. During testing, a glitch allowed police to chase criminals off-road. Developers found this unexpected behavior more exciting than the original concept, leading them to rework the game entirely, eventually introducing the very first Grand Theft Auto.

John Marstons Son Wrote a Book

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Grand Theft Auto is huge, with every game getting bigger and bigger, leaving more places to hide little lore dumps and easter eggs. For a timeline easter egg, head into Franklins Vinewood Hills home and take a look at the bookshelf in the living room. If you zoom in, youll spot a familiar title, the book on the far right is called Red Dead. The author is listed as J. Marston, which might refer to John Marston, the games protagonist. However, if youve finished Red Dead, youll know Johns son, Jack, is a book lover with aspirations of becoming a writer, making him a far more likely candidate for the books author instead.

Shooting the Moon

Grand Theft Auto Series (1997-)

I know I know, you probably know this, but there are still a good chunk of gamers who have no idea this exists. In the 3D Universe games, shooting the moon with a sniper rifle causes it to change size. Weird right? Each shot makes the moon grow larger, and once it reaches its maximum size, it resets back to its smallest form. Its weird, its dumb, but it is canon, and now its on this list!

The War with Jack Thompson

Grand Theft Auto Series (1997-)

One of the most vocal critics of violent media was Jack Thompson, a former attorney known for his aggressive legal tactics. Beginning in the late 1980s, he targeted political figures and rap artists over offensive lyrics. In 1999, he filed his first video game lawsuit, but it wasnt until 2003 when Thompson began targeting Grand Theft Auto, attempting to defend teenage murderer Dustin Lynch by arguing that GTA III had fueled his violent behavior. He has been a non stop attacker of the game, and somewhat of an arch nemesis of Rockstar. In 2007, the Florida Bar disbarred Thompson following numerous complaints of misconduct and dishonesty, which is what he deserves Loser.

Double Reference Underwater

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

If you dive about 500 feet off the coast of Sandy Shores and youll come across a mysterious underwater hatch, one that bears a striking resemblance to the hatch from the TV show Lost. But thats not all. If you swim just above it, youll hear a series of strange tapping sounds. In classic Rockstar fashion, its actually a coded message, and when decoded, it says Hey, you never call, howd you fancy going bowling? Sound familiar? If you dont get it, what are you doing on this list?

Affected by Tragedy

Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

Grand Theft Auto III was released just a month after the September 11 attacks, and it drew a fair amount of criticism for its violent content, which most people who were alive around that time already know. What many dont realise is that even with only a month before RELEASE, Rockstar actually did implement some very important changes, including changing the color of police cars to avoid resemblance to NYPD vehicles, altering a planes flight path so it wouldn't appear to crash near skyscrapers, and cutting a mission that referenced terrorism. Thats pretty bloody good!

Hearing Impairment

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Its not often that youre able to catch something that actors do out of necessity, especially if theyre absolute professionals, but sometimes very natural actors will import their own mannerisms by complete accident. You may have noticed that in a cutscene, when someone is talking to Michael on his right side, he will usually turn his head, or shift his whole body towards that character. It turns out that Ned Luke, who plays Michael, is almost completely deaf in his right ear. Interesting!

Age Difference

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Alright, heres one that blew my mind. Although Trevor Phillips is arguably at least 20 years older than Franklin in the game, their voice actors? Not so much. Steven Ogg, who voices Trevor, is actually five years younger than Shawn Fonteno, the voice behind Franklin. Now I dont know if Steven Ogg has just had a really hard life, or Shawn Fonteno has had a really cushy life, but something is wrong here.

Walt Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Alright, I dont feel TOTALLY happy including this one, just because its the only fact on this list I couldnt 100% confirm, but it has become an internet truth, which is basically as good as a real truth... Right, guys? Assuming the internet never lies, actors for Grand Theft Auto V were told (up until they were hired) that they were auditioning for a game called Frozen. This was in an effort to maintain privacy about the latest GTA entry, but would have confused a lot of people reading the dialogue. I dont remember Elsa saying this?

Each Character Has A Different Sleep Schedule

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

I hate to start an entry like this... BUT DID YOU KNOW, when saving the game by sleeping, the amount of time that passes varies depending on the character? CRAZY RIGHT? I had no idea, but its true, Michael sleeps for 6 hours, Franklin rests for 8, and Trevor sleeps the longest, an impressive 12 hours, which makes sense, because hes also probably been awake for 9 days.

Angry Mimes

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

The NPCs in GTA V are an absolute marvel to behold. You can wander the streets for hours listening to random conversations, following random activities, and enjoying the world that was meticulously designed in order to make the NPCs feel like real people. But, again, DID YOU KNOW that if you take pictures of street performers without paying them, they get reeeeally grumpy? FACTS!

Multiplayer Was The End Goal

Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

Considering it would take Grand Theft Auto another 3 years after the release of GTA 3 before they reached a playable multiplayer mode that felt good, its interesting to think that multiplayer was intended to be a feature of the 2001 entry. Considering how vanilla and beta the co-op mode in San Andreas felt, its wild that this was thought to be achievable, and even though it was eventually scrapped as they got closer to release, its cool to imagine two Claudes causing absolute carnage in Liberty City.

Rockstar Paid a GTA V Modder to Fix the Game

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Rockstar Games hasnt always had the best relationship with the modding community. However, in 2021, a modder discovered a way to reduce the games lengthy load times by an impressive 70%. Rockstar acknowledged the improvement in patch 1.53 and not only implemented it into the official game, but also rewarded the modder with $10,000 (as reported by Forbes). It was a surprising and well-earned recognition, and it gives us hope that maybe big studios will stop mod-blocking dedicated fans and let them create.

Keep it in the Family

Grand Theft Auto Series (1997-)

Im gonna say it again... DID YOU KNOW that Shawn Fonteno, who voiced Franklin in GTA V, is actually the cousin of Young Maylay? Maylay famously played C.J., the beloved lead character in GTA: San Andreas, albeit under a different name. Both titles are set in the fictional city of Los Santos, and both actors are also rappers in real life. Its wild to think about Maylay bragging for years about being the protagonist of a GTA game, only for his cousin to step in like Pffft, cool off mate, thats easy.

The Hollywood Game

Grand Theft Auto Series (1997-)

This is a tough entry to write about, because while there are many that you dont know about, there will be a few youre already familiar with, so pick and choose for yourself on this one! The GTA series has probably had more celebrity cameos than any other games series, including Sam Jackson, Ricky Gervais, Phil Collins, James Woods, Peter Fonda, Burt Reynolds, Gary Busey, Dennis Hopper, Danny Trejo, Ice-T, and Ray Liotta. I could keep listing, but wed be here for a while. Cara Delevingne! Okay Ill stop.

Method Acting

Grand Theft Auto V III (2013)

Getting into character can be really tough, especially when you are just recording lines for characters to spout randomly, and you dont get to go full mocap and get dirty. But this doesnt stop some actors from pushing themselves to achieve an authentic performance! Steven Ogg, our beloved Trevor, actually recorded some of his dialogue in his underpants, just to feel authentically Trevor. An idea Ive actually stolen from him Im in my underpants, was that clear?

The Trifecta Theory

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Did you know theres a much loved theory called The GTA V Trifecta Theory? With a good community behind it, it suggests that the games three protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, symbolize different eras of the Grand Theft Auto series. Trevor, being the unhinged and manic embodiment of GTA 1, 2 & London. Franklin, being the representation of the class ascending stories of GTA III through San Andreas. And finally Michael, being the new version of GTA, the post modern story driven carriage that is GTA IV and its DLCs. You may not have known, and now you definitely do!