GTA cover art: why the tile grid exists
GTA’s tiled cover dates back to GTA III, whose art Dan Houser says was redrawn in two evenings after 9/11 Reported. The GTA 6 box keeps that grid Official. New here? Start here.
Why GTA III got the grid
Reported Houser, per Eurogamer: "What's funny is the cover art that became the iconic GTA cover art; Stephen Bliss did that in about two evenings because the old cover art was probably being too offensive to release after 9/11 because there were burning buildings in it." He added: "So that look of the shards, the squares that became very iconic, only appeared because of 9/11."
Reported Houser also said "There were a couple of bits of content that would've been fine, but in the exact aftermath of 9/11, were maybe a little bit too much." Those were cut before the October 2001 launch.
The grid on GTA VI
| Item | What we can say | Label |
|---|---|---|
| GTA VI cover art | Rockstar’s cover uses the tiled layout. The image above is the official art. | Official artwork |
| Who drew GTA VI’s cover | Rockstar has not credited an artist. | Not confirmed |
| GTA III cover origin | Drawn in about two evenings by Stephen Bliss after 9/11, per Houser | Reported Eurogamer |
| Tourist T-shirts | Houser: "When you go to any big tourist resort, you'll have a sort of GTA cover art-inspired T-shirt available." | Reported Eurogamer |
Related: Boxed copy · Editions · GTA Vice City
Quick answers
Why does every GTA cover look like a grid?
Reported Houser says GTA III’s original cover showed burning buildings and was replaced after 9/11; the grid stuck.
Is the GTA VI box a disc?
Official No. The physical Standard box holds a download code. Physical copy.
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