5 times that Rockstar surprised the GTA fan base

List of five shocking moments in GTA games (Image via Rockstar Games)
List of five shocking moments in GTA games (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA is a much-celebrated series of action-adventure games and is developed by the British development house Rockstar North and published by its parent company, Rockstar. The series has been acclaimed for both critical and financial success.

In the words of the publishers, the entire GTA franchise has, in total, sold over 370 million units of the game to date. And with news of the development of another addition to the series underway, it goes without saying that the fan base is in for another thrilling ride.

Apart from the unparalleled, close-to-obsessive attention to detail, extraordinary settings, brilliant social commentary, and heart-pounding action, there were several times when the developers surprised the fan base through their games. With that being said, let's learn about five such moments that shocked players.


5 GTA moments that fans did not see coming

5) Backstabbing in GTA San Andreas

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The storyline of GTA San Andreas involves Big Smoke betraying his gang with the ambition of becoming Los Santos's biggest drug kingpin. Several subtle and not-so-subtle hints throughout the game that suggested Smoke’s eventual betrayal. However, nobody could imagine giving away one’s closest friend like Smoke did.

This was one such instance that came as a major surprise and will not be forgotten anytime soon. Rockstar ensured that they fulfilled the character’s desire to be remembered by the world, but not in a way that players saw coming.


4) The controversial male nudity scene in GTA 4

A screenshot of GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned's gameplay (Image via whatever57010whatever57010/YouTube)
A screenshot of GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned's gameplay (Image via whatever57010whatever57010/YouTube)

This one was a true shocker and stirred up quite a buzz within the fan base. The developers have done several things over the years to rattle up the community from time-to-time, and this was one such addition. Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and the Damned featured full-frontal male nudity of Tom Stubbs, a middle-aged Congressman.

In a scene called "Politics," Tom Stubbs and Johnny meet at a massage parlor to negotiate Johnny’s hire by Tom. Upon seeing Johnny enter the room, Tom Stubbs gets up from the table, exposes himself fully, and delivers a lengthy monologue while remaining undressed.


3) The Statue of Happiness in GTA 4

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One of the most iconic elements of Grand Theft Auto 4 is the Statue of Happiness. It is a blatant imitation of the famous Statue of Liberty. It is situated on Happiness Island in the video game's imaginary Liberty City, modeled after New York City. However, the surprising element is the statue’s facial features.

The controversy has been made with Rockstar modeling the figure after famous American politician and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Players were surprised to see such a thing and attributed this not-so-subtle coincidence to when Rockstar came under harsh criticism from Clinton after the Hot Coffee controversy.


2) GTA 5’s playable torture scene

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The Torture Scene in Grand Theft Auto 5 was a big surprise to the players and sparked controversies. Torture has long been a very sensitive and politically heated topic, but the developers couldn't stay away from it.

To learn more about an Azerbaijani fugitive who posed a threat to the FBI, Trevor was forced to extract information from Mr. K. by torturing him through various tools. Even though it is an extremely brutal, gory, and disturbing scene, it serves a higher purpose of giving players an insight into a criminal’s mind.


1) Including pr*stitution since GTA 3

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This, without a doubt, is one of the most surprising and controversial aspects of the entire franchise. Including pr*stitution in gaming was one of the reasons why Grand Theft Auto 3 earned the title 'Most Offensive Game of the Year.'

In the 3D Universe of the game, pr*stitutes can raise the player's health to more than 100%. If a player picks up a pr*stitute and parks the car in a place without any civilians, their health will go to 125. Seeing such a feature in its gameplay was quite a shocker and Rockstar faced multiple lawsuits for these reasons.


To conclude, the developers have a history of adding surprising elements to their games, adding to the fame this franchise has acquired over the years. Fans can hope for some surprising moments in the upcoming game as well.

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Edited by Abu Amjad Khan
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