Grand Theft Auto
The top-down original that started it all: a 2D crime game across three cities, Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City, each of which the series would return to.
Key facts
- Released
- 28 November 1997 (PC, Europe)
- Type
- Main series
- Platforms
- PC (1997 Europe, 1998 North America), PlayStation (1997 Europe, 1998 North America), Game Boy Color (1999)
- Developer
- DMA Design
- Setting
- Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City (New York, San Francisco and Miami)
- Protagonist
- A player-chosen criminal, from a set of selectable characters
What it is remembered for
- Grew out of a 1995 DMA Design concept called Race’n’Chase.
- Jobs came through ringing payphones, an idea its lead programmer said was borrowed from Die Hard with a Vengeance.
- Its open structure partly came from the team not wanting to build a front-end menu, according to that programmer.
- The only main-series GTA where you pick your protagonist from a set of characters; its London mission packs work the same way.
GTA 1 vs GTA 6
| GTA 1 | GTA 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 1997 | November 19, 2026 |
| Setting | Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City | Vice City and the state of Leonida |
| Playable leads | A player-chosen criminal, from a set of selectable characters | Jason Duval, Lucia Caminos |
| Launch platforms | PC (1997 Europe, 1998 North America) | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
GTA VI returns to Vice City, now one city in the wider state of Leonida.
GTA 1 FAQ
When did GTA 1 come out?
Grand Theft Auto came out on 28 November 1997 (PC, Europe).
Where is GTA 1 set?
In Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City, the series’ take on New York, San Francisco and Miami.
Who is the main character in GTA 1?
A player-chosen criminal, from a set of selectable characters.
What platforms is GTA 1 on?
PC (1997 Europe, 1998 North America); PlayStation (1997 Europe, 1998 North America); Game Boy Color (1999).
Sources and verification
- Grand Theft Auto — Rockstar Games
- As GTA turns 25, we speak to the people who made it happen — Time Extension
- The original Grand Theft Auto was open world because “we didn’t want to have to build a front end” — Video Games Chronicle
- Read the humble beginnings of Grand Theft Auto — Kotaku