Grand Theft Auto’s rise from 1997 driving game to cultural force

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto has grown from a modest 1997 driving game into one of the most influential and commercially successful works in video games. With GTA VI due this November, the series’ scale and cultural reach raise questions about how games draw on art, film and popular culture, and why GTA matters beyond its players.

The first game, made by Scotland’s DMA Design, offered fictional US cities, car theft, dark humour and unusual freedom, despite the studio’s limited research resources. GTA III’s 2001 move to a three-dimensional world marked a major evolution; GTA V has since sold more than 230 million copies, while GTA VI is reportedly costing over $1bn to make.