Live · 10/14/2026 14:27
GTA 6: the mosaic cover was born from 9/11, says Dan Houser
Dan Houser tells IGN that GTA III's iconic cover was redone in about two evenings after September 11, 2001, a style GTA 6 keeps.
Sources numerama.com
Dan Houser tells IGN that GTA III's iconic cover was redone in about two evenings after September 11, 2001, a style GTA 6 keeps.
Sources numerama.com
The tiled GTA cover, which GTA 6 keeps right down to the helicopter at top left, exists because of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Dan Houser, Rockstar Games co-founder and former vice president, tells IGN, as reported by Numerama.
Because the first version showed burning buildings. Houser, as quoted by Numerama: Stephen Bliss made the now-iconic cover in about two evenings, because the old one was probably judged too shocking to publish after 9/11.
Illustrator Stephen Bliss confirms. Per Numerama, the original cover took about six months of work and was already heading to print for the holidays when New York was hit, a little over a month before the October 22 release.
GTA III is set in Liberty City, a fictional city inspired by New York. Houser says some content, "perfectly acceptable at any other time", had become a bit much: the team removed it, changed some dialogue and did a quick review. Those changes delayed release by nearly three weeks, from October 3 to October 22, 2001, Numerama notes.
Read also GTA 6: Rockstar says Leonida is built to be replayed, like RDR2
In 2011, in Edge magazine, Houser had already detailed some changes, again per Numerama: police car colors changed to stop copying the NYPD, a plane's flight path that seemed to aim at a skyscraper, and a mission cut for referencing terrorists.
Without that accident, GTA III would have kept its original artwork and the mosaic style might not have launched the series' look. It was kept by every later entry. For the Vice City era, see GTA 6 versus Vice City 2002.
Today's merchandise also draws on that visual heritage, such as The Art of Vice City, though no source links the two.
Nothing changes for the game itself, out November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. But the GTA 6 cover now has a specific, unexpected origin. Editions and their artwork are on our price page.
Sources numerama.com
By Chloé · GTAVIFRANCE newsroom
Next articleGTA 6: Rockstar says Leonida is built to be replayed, like RDR2
10/14/2026 14:27GTA 6: Rockstar says Leonida is built to be replayed, like RDR2
10/13/2026 19:30Cyberleek: after the token crash, GTA 6 fans urge everyone not to pay
10/09/2026 03:30GTA 6: Rob Nelson on how Rockstar opens up missions without losing the story
10/14/2026 16:23🚨 GTA 6: Bloomberg reveals how Rockstar built the game