GTA VI has already taken social media by storm even before its release
From trailers to prompts that turn a photo into a GTA cover: here’s how Rockstar’s new title is taking social media by storm ahead of its official launch
by Jader Liberatore
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Even before it reaches players, Grand Theft Auto VI is much more than just a video game. The new title from Rockstar Games, due for release on 19 November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, has become a genuine social media phenomenon. On Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, in fact, there are numerous memes, fan art, videos and AI-generated creations circulating, all characterised by saturated colours, rapid cuts and instantly recognisable references to the GTA universe.
The aesthetic of the series has, in fact, become a visual language that is easily recognisable and, above all, replicable: creators and fans rework photographs and videos of themselves, famous people and real-life locations, transforming them into scenes that seem to come straight out of Vice City.Even before it reaches players, Grand Theft Auto VI is much more than just a video game.
Rockstar Games’ new title, due for release on 19 November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, has become a real social media phenomenon. On Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, there is a wealth of memes, fan art, videos and AI-generated content, all characterised by saturated colours, rapid cuts and instantly recognisable references to the GTA universe. The series’ aesthetic has, in fact, become a visual language that is easily recognisable and, above all, replicable: content creators and fans are reworking photographs and videos of themselves, famous people and real-life locations, transforming them into scenes that look as though they’ve come straight out of Vice City.
The figures also help to illustrate the scale of the anticipation. The first official trailer, published on YouTube in December 2023, has surpassed 294 million views, whilst the second, released in May 2025, has exceeded 180 million views: it is therefore easy to see how the anticipation – fuelled by the very long gap between GTA V and the new instalment – has turned practically every piece of information into a minor media event.
On Instagram, this mechanism is even more evident. In a Reel such as the one posted by the @nocturn.psd account, for example, artificial intelligence has generated a series of videos offering a realistic portrayal of the daily lives of Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, the two protagonists of the new title.
