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Next Grand Theft Auto teased in Episodes from Liberty City?

Manual for retail edition of Lost and Damned, Ballad of Gay Tony expansions hints that the next GTA won't be set in Liberty City; information could arrive as early as March 2010.

Source: See below.

What we heard: An increasing number of gamers paging through the manual of the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City are noticing something eye-catching in its third-to-last page. It's a small mock ad (pictured) for the fictional film, Liberty City, It's Over, an apparent parody of the metropolis-focused short compilation movies Paris, J'taime and New York, I Love You.

In its center, the ad shows the cover art from Grand Theft Auto IV inside a torn-asunder heart--a sign some are taking to mean that the Ballad of Gay Tony is the last title of this GTA generation set in Liberty City. Then, below the title, are the words "Next Stop" above a rip in the poster--a phrase some are taking as a cue to the franchise's future direction.

Random joke or hint at GTA's future?

Random joke or hint at GTA's future?

Inside the rip is part of a blue-gray and yellow image that somewhat resembles the color palette of Los Santos, the Los Angeles facsimile in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It could also be that of Vice City, the Miami clone featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The fact that the poster also mentions the film is "coming in March" has some people wondering if that's the date when the next GTA will be announced.

Yes, the leap is pretty tenuous, and could just be another example of the random, wacky humor that is the GTA series' trademark. However, it has been shown that Rockstar loves to hide clues of its future plans in advance. One example is the Impossible Trinity achievement in Grand Theft Auto IV, where the protagonists of the two Xbox 360 expansions--Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez--meet the main game's protagonist, Niko Bellic.

Another reason the ad is getting so much attention is that Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter said he expects the next installment in the GTA series next year. In a note sent to investors in early September, he said he expects the next full GTA game to arrive by the 2010 holiday season. He also expects Episodes from Liberty City to sell between 1 and 1.5 million units domestically, a prediction that--if realized--shows that demand for GTA games is as strong as ever.

The official story: Rockstar did not respond to requests for comment.

Bogus or not bogus?: Too little to go on. However, there's no doubt Rockstar is making a new GTA. And with San Andreas and Vice City being two of the best-selling games of the decade, Rockstar founders Sam and Dan Houser would be foolish not to revisit those locales as they did Liberty City.

328 Comments

  • PurpleSmile

    Posted Jan 6, 2011 10:34 pm GMT

    Hope its on San Andreas. and the protoganist is a black dude... just like CJ.. damn it would be awesome!

  • MdN09graduate

    Posted Sep 9, 2010 8:49 pm GMT

    If Vice City is next, keep it modern day like after GTA IV, but make it the Miami style of clothing and types of events going on. I just want more cars, more weapons, and more player customization. I'm not bettin' on car custimization until after Vice City. They improved from GTA 3 by adding more weapons, more cars, and slightly better graphics into Vice City. Then San Andreas improved again this time with tons of cars and customization, more weapons and player abilities, and the biggest open environment known to GTA with no loading screens while traveling to islands. They'll probably do the same only it will be so much better looking and realistic.

  • valensim

    Posted Aug 4, 2010 12:56 pm GMT

    I prefer 1st Vice City ...... but if it will be in Los Angeles(rumors), would not be to bad and I hope the protagonist will be a Mexican.

  • suberbard

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 4:12 pm GMT

    the only good thing about vice city was the soundtrack the map was way to small and the beach was way too big

  • suberbard

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 4:10 pm GMT

    hold up it will be san andreas because if you pay attention in the gta iv storyline san andreas in mentioned a lot
    for example

    vinewood sign in front of the ULC paper mission Las Venturas Casino ad in the vibe fm
    Bernie says im going to san fierro

    Vinewood aka los santos + las venturas + san fierro= san andreas

  • valensim

    Posted May 2, 2010 10:02 am GMT

    the next GTA will be in Vice City. It'll be GTA V or it will be a GTA IV era like the GTA III series

  • morbidgrim

    Posted Apr 24, 2010 12:56 am GMT

    Ohh boy,I do hope to see Vice City again

  • pieham

    Posted Apr 8, 2010 5:56 pm GMT

    @robayeit I understand what you mean . in gta : san andreas carl mentions coming from liberty city and then the next game was gta iv . that is a good lead.
    I recon they should make a london version or 2 maps from which you can travel between for certain missions or objects etc...

  • roserman

    Posted Feb 16, 2010 8:05 pm GMT

    R* needs to try branching out to different countries like they did with GTA london

  • mt96123

    Posted Feb 6, 2010 4:57 am GMT

    I RECKON HONG KONG THINK ABOUT THE ISLANDS AND THE LITTLE islands pls rockstar pls!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Sargesammy

    Posted Jan 2, 2010 11:57 pm GMT

    Don't laugh but i would like to see it in colorado.Because the could bring snow into it along with snow boarding and skiing. And who wouldn't wanna run around in a computer D.I.A. Or ohio they have snow and a bigger crime rate then colorado

  • robayeit

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 5:22 pm GMT

    One thing i would love to see would be some of interaction between the 2, but as a long guess, and something i would like to see would be to bring back London, and be able to fly from Liberty to London

  • robayeit

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 5:18 pm GMT

    I would say Vice City cause remember they have a vice city radio station on episodes of Liberty City, and on the main GTA 4 Roman mentions vice city and how much he wants to set up there

  • ImpliedBunny

    Posted Nov 22, 2009 12:32 am GMT

    GTA: Tokyo would be so cool. fighing yakuza and racing, it would be pretty awesome.

  • Siimgames

    Posted Nov 21, 2009 11:49 am GMT

    R*,please make the game take place in San Andreas or introduce us to a new world in the GTA universe and add in all the awesome stuff that hopefully we all are looking forward to like nude girls(strippers,Hot Coffe) and car costumazation...and more weapons and more content

  • BDL91

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 4:48 am GMT

    I reckon it definately Vice city

  • Freer

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 5:14 pm GMT

    If this was a remake of vice city I would be the happiest person ever

  • Ironserpent

    Posted Nov 12, 2009 4:31 am GMT

    they love to do this, rockstar does.

  • ImmortalityX

    Posted Nov 12, 2009 4:08 am GMT

    hmm what if its in Carcer City?

    i mean that'll tie a couple Rockstar games together, Manhunt and GTA. it'll give them another fresh storyline to start with and possibly cross plots with GTA4 and plus, they've never really explained Carcer City besides its "filled with crime and corruption" but isnt Liberty City?

    hopefully it has a way more lenient Police department so you can fight/kill civilians melee style without being chased lol

  • ymarkman

    Posted Nov 12, 2009 1:13 am GMT

    Ha ha! I love Roskstar...they sure know how to get everybody talkin'...I'll bet it's gonna be Vice City remade...and if it is, I'm gonna be very happy because Vice City the first GTA game I ever played, and my favorite of the old trilogy. And, if it's set in the '80s, that'll be even better!

  • deepen03

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 8:42 pm GMT

    maybe they will go back to vice city for this one and then back to san andreas in gta 6. it can be like a new trilogy. GTA III was in Liberty City and then it was VC and SA, so it makes perfect sense..

  • MariusGta

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 7:03 pm GMT

    imagine gta Detroit.....with plenty of racing on circuits and gang wars!!! i think it will be cool

  • utap

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:27 am GMT

    rodney4x
    well said that's what we should have been able to do from the start Rockstar should listen to the fans more

  • Thermador446

    Posted Nov 7, 2009 10:50 pm GMT

    If you don't count online, GTA IV doesn't seem to have the replay value that previous titles had (too realistic?). I think the lack of celebrity voices might have something to do with it. I'm not saying I don't like GTA IV (I bought the special edition), but I've only beat it once (out of two endings), which is very rare when you consider I attempted 100% completion on San Andreas (totally not worth it).

  • Rodney4x

    Posted Nov 7, 2009 9:41 pm GMT

    Hopefully they 1st) update the graphics engine at least by a small amount (similar to the upgrades to the UnreaL 3 Engine for GoW2). 2nd) allow you to freely drive your happy self to the airporT, buy a tickeT and (immediately) begin your flight to Los Santos or Mia....I mean Vice City (of course accompanied by a cut-scene to allow for loading, if necessary). Do they even listen to these foruMz for ideaZ????

  • wylhelm

    Posted Nov 7, 2009 8:22 pm GMT

    Seagulf with be based on Havana, Cuba. Its in the region of the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean Sea. My long shot guess.

  • Lawgamer83

    Posted Nov 7, 2009 11:20 am GMT

    I think the next GTA won't be in Vice City or San Andreas. Remember, when game creators were asked why they chose Liberty City for GTA IV, they answered because they didn't really like the way it was portrayed in GTA III, they wanted it to look more like New York City.

    So Seagull, maybe Seattle, as it would be fun to see a game covering two countries, for example interactions between a Seattle-like city and a Canadian city like Vancouver, where triads and native gangs roam... and a customs system would be cool.

    But anyway, it would be fun to be in Ireland or anywhere else than the US... I completely trust Rockstar for that one...

  • bigjoe8181

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 4:33 pm GMT

    i dont really care where it is as long as its gta

  • JMizzle

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 2:38 pm GMT

    Speaking about hints for the next game, at the end of the Ballad of Gay Tony, in the credits

    SPOILERS!

    Is it not Packie we see cryptically walking into the airport terminal with a bag? I find this rather intriguing. Not that im suggesting its going to be set in Ireland, but I loved those characters.

  • GrandTheftC12

    Posted Nov 4, 2009 9:35 pm GMT

    I'd like them to take it back to San Andreas.

  • thpghalo3

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 6:18 pm GMT

    bring it back to vice city.

  • tomgas

    Posted Nov 2, 2009 1:15 pm GMT

    i say they take it somewhere they have never before taken it... like China or something stupidly insane like that. it can give the game the freshness it's been needing since the original GTA. Also, it should come on the pc at the same time as those ugly consoles.

  • 7ate9

    Posted Nov 2, 2009 12:04 pm GMT

    I don't care where its set. All I want is the cool side missions from the GTAs III games back!

  • Lateraliss

    Posted Nov 2, 2009 7:10 am GMT

    Grand Theft Auto: London and Jason Statham playing lead character....

  • alz619

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 3:09 pm GMT

    If The Getaway 3 is released that covers London and Just Cause 2 covers South America Soooo Im guessing they're gonna revisit one of the other GTA's. Reason bieng is that if they do any other american city then it will be too much like liberty city. I want Vice City again but fear that if it isn't set in the 80's, it will be boring. San Andreas is sooo good that if they remake that, then it will be the final GTA for the currnet generation of gaming systems. Just my guess.

  • SicklySunStorm

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 2:56 pm GMT

    They could still do so much more with San Andreas, like they revived Liberty City and Vice City for the "stories" titles... I would really like to see them do something like that. And a new GTA London please too, the first on PS1 was great... show that godawful game series "The Getaway" how to set a Sandbox game in London properly

  • turnerdoc

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 2:38 pm GMT

    the next 1 will be vice city they say rockstar likes to leave clues well in gta it went liberty city vice city san andreas and y is there a vice city radio station i hope and pray its vice cause the music was so much better than the rest of the gta games gag me with a spoon later

  • TheJamin

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 12:27 pm GMT

    We really need another GTA London, this time, in 3D! also, more importantly, we need them to fix the pedestrian spawning draw distance issues from GTA IV! I wanna snipe from the millennium wheel!

  • metalicelvis

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 10:13 am GMT

    @bibbistorie - Yeah right, you'd be lucky to get it even released in Australia never mind be based on it.

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 9:23 am GMT

    I say a visit to a foreign country would shake things up. I wouldn't mind seeing what Rockstar would do with the Yakuza lifestyle in Japan.

  • cananyonehelp

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 7:43 am GMT

    gta:san andreas stories on psp?

  • valensim

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 6:55 am GMT

    I hope the series will be associated, like the last generation of GTA.

  • valensim

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 6:52 am GMT

    Vice City in a modern world ?? That sounds great.

  • TurboGuru

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 4:31 am GMT

    Rockstar, for the next GTA please please choose a location where 'flying jets' won't be considered as politically incorrect (terrorism).... we all want the frickin jets back....!!!

  • DotComBoris

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 2:59 am GMT

    Every new episode in a new city would be COOL!

  • bibbistorie

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 2:05 am GMT

    bring on GTA Australia ; )

  • blakeney

    Posted Oct 31, 2009 4:37 pm GMT

    if were betting though, my money has been on vice city since we found out it gta4 was in lc, and it still firmly is!!

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