Rockstar Games has finally unveiled the cover artwork for GTA 6, and it’s already packed with details and characters significant to the game’s story. We’ve taken a closer look at the image for you.
The cat’s been out of the bag since yesterday. After months of waiting, fans finally know what the GTA 6 game box looks like. Developer Rockstar unveiled the game’s cover art with its own mini-trailer and also announced that the highly anticipated pre-order period for the open-world blockbuster will begin on June 25. That’s when we’ll finally find out the game’s price.
A third trailer, however, is still a long time coming. But there are plenty of hidden details in the cover artwork alone. We’ve taken a close look at the image for you andreveal everything there is to see.
Plenty of Vice City Nostalgia
The cover of GTA 6 hasnine panelsand bears astriking resemblance to the cover ofGTA: Vice Cityin terms of both its layout and imagery. That’s not really surprising, since the latest GTA installment is set in yet another fictional version of Miami—the same one Vice City took us to before.
Both covers feature a yellow sports car, a speedboat, and a woman in a bikini sipping a drink. The placement of the motorcycle and helicopter in the two upper corners of the image is even identical. It’s striking that the helicopter and motorcycle have also already appearedwere located in exactly these positions on the covers of the previous two GTAs– likely some sort of sacred rule at Rockstar.
In the following Reddit embed, you can see both covers side by side:
The cover being this similar to specifically Vice city has me thinking…
byu/CustomerEmergency348 inGTA6
Let’s now take a look, one by one, at all the images in a clockwise direction. You can use the jump links to navigate directly to the corresponding paragraph; the complete cover artwork can be found right after the quick navigation
Here’s what you can see on the cover artwork:
- Jason and Lucia
- Motorcycle
- Boobie Ike
- Speedboat
- Alligator
- Raul Bautista
- Sports car
- Woman in a bikini
- Helicopter
Jason and Lucia
At the top center of the new cover are the two main characters, Jason Duvall and Lucia Caminos. On the Rockstar website, we learn that Jason grew up among criminals.After a stint in the military, he ended up in the Leonida Keys and is doing what he does best: working for local drug smugglers.
His girlfriend and accomplice, Lucia, ended up in Leonida Prison after fighting for her family.It was pure luck that got her out. Lucia has learned her lesson—from now on, only smart moves.
On the cover, Lucia is holding a short-barreled pistol that vaguely resembles the Mk II from previous GTA games. In the background, we can see the silhouettes of palm trees that look familiar from earlier GTA 6 artwork.
But the sunny setting is deceptive, because on the pre-order website we also learn the following about the two protagonists’ adventure:
When a simple, shady scheme draws Jason and Lucia into a conspiracy spanning the entire state of Leonida, the young criminal couple finds themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in all of America—forced to rely on each other more than ever before if they want to survive.
Motorcycle
In the upper right corner of the image, a guy on a pink-and-purple motorcycle is doing a wheelie next to a police car. The bike appears to be a Principe Alvino V1, a new model being introduced for the first time in GTA 6.
In a previous trailer, Jason was also seen riding such a bike; however, that one was green.
The fact that the motorcycle features decals and a two-tone paint job could indicate that, for the first time in GTA 6, we’ll be able to customize and wrap our vehicles, just like in Forza Horizon.
Boobie Ike
Music producer and club owner Boobie Ike, featured on the right side of the cover, is one of thelegends of Vice City
. According to the Rockstar website, the former gangster is one of the few,who have turned their time on the streets into a legitimate empire that includes real estate, a strip club, and a recording studio.
The enterprising businessman is said to always be on the lookout for a good deal. His placement on the cover suggests he’ll play a prominent role in the GTA 6 story; Lucia and Jason will most likely end up working for or against him. The flashy gold jewelry could hint that he secretly sees himself as the King of Leonida.
Speedboat
The speedboat is another reference to the original Vice City cover. It appears to be a Clarion boat—a brand-new manufacturer in GTA 6. There is no official model name for it. The flamingo in the sky suggests that the five people on the boat are traveling near the Everglades, where these animals are native.
Crocodile
The alligator directly below the GTA logo is likely also a reference to the Grassrivers region—the fictional version of the Florida Everglades. In these endless swamps, however, it seems that dangers far beyond voracious reptiles are lurking. In screenshots released so far, for example, you can see that heavily armed hunters are also on the loose here, shooting at anything that moves. You might even encounter big-game hunting quests like inRed Dead Redemption.
Raul Bautista
According to the Rockstar website, the man with the assault rifle is anexperienced bank robber who’s always on the lookout for talent willing to take the risks that promise the biggest payoffs.
So it seems Jason and Lucia might end up working with him as the story unfolds.
In the background of the image, you can see a branch of the Sinfrontera National Bank—a bank robber’s natural habitat. We’ll likely carry out a heist on the building with Bautista in GTA 6. The assault rifle in his hand is a model from the manufacturer Duke, which has made its way from the Red Dead Redemption universe into GTA 6.
Sports Car
It’s not yet officially clear which model this yellow supercar is. However, there are many indications that it’s a new Pegassi, the fictional luxury brand of the GTA universe. Externally, the new Pegassi is based on the Lamborghini Aventador and is likely the successor to the Pegassi Infernus, which in turn is based on the real-life Lamborghini Murciélago.
Woman in a Bikini
Little is currently known about the mysterious woman on the left side of the image. Based on the jersey she’s wearing over her bikini, it’s clear that she’s a fan of the Vice City Manatees, the city’s fictional football team. Her “Vice Baby” tattoo also suggests that she’s a native of the city.
So far, the cover girls have rarely played a role in the storylines of the various GTA games; however, it’s possible that the woman pictured is part of Jason and Lucia’s circle of friends. We’ll likely only find out the truth when GTA 6 launches.
Helicopter
This small helicopter is a Sea Sparrow, an amphibious model first introduced in GTA: Vice City. With its two float tanks, the agile two-seater can land on water. This makes the Sea Sparrow ideal for reconnaissance flights through Leonida, a region characterized by the sea and swamps. We doubt that this helicopter comes equipped with a minigun as standard; we’ll likely be able to modify the Sea Sparrow later on, just like in GTA Online.
Did we miss an important detail? Have you noticed any other hidden clues in the cover artwork? Let us know in the comments! Meanwhile, check out the link box above for more interesting news about GTA 6.
