Grand Theft Auto VI trailer sees characters break the law 25 times - with a crime committed every 3.6 seconds
- New research has revealed that the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI sees characters violate 25 different US laws in just one minute and a half
- The findings come from watching the official GTA VI trailer and counting up the number and frequency of crimes – and calculating the potential punishment
- This means an offence is committed once every 3.6 seconds in the record breaking promo – with characters in Leonida (based on Florida) facing more than 100 years of jail time if prosecuted
- An expert discusses whether crime-heavy video games like GTA encourage unlawful behavior, especially when real-life consequences aren’t detailed onscreen
New data has revealed that in the official GTA VI game trailer, which became the most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours (non-music), the characters break a whopping 23 US laws in the space of one and a half minutes.
The research conducted by gaming experts at GTA BOOM analysed Rockstars' new official Grand Theft Auto Trailer to count up the number of laws that were broken within the trailer - and how frequently - and calculates what the potential jail time would be if the characters were prosecuted in real life.
Of the 25 law-breaking instances within the trailer, surprisingly, one law that wasn’t broken was grand theft auto. These 25 crimes fit into 11 different categories, including indecent exposure and burglary. Overall, in the span of the 90-second trailer, a law was broken every 3.6 seconds.
The human characters are responsible for 23 of these offences, while two of the violations are attributed to the alligators that appear in the trailer.
According to the analysis, some laws broken without the trailer would receive harsher punishments than others due to the severity of the crime. The potential repercussions are according to Florida state law, given this is where the fictional GTA world of Leonida is based on.
The armed robbery at the end of the trailer was the worst crime and could land the protagonist up to 30 years in jail – meaning she’d definitely not be out before the 2025 release of the game.
Some crimes were less serious - such as the barely dressed Leonida citizen who was evading arrest - who would have only walked away with a small fine for public indecency were they not also running away from a police officer. This act ramps up the punishment to up to five years behind bars.
The hammer-wielding woman could be charged with a misdemeanour due to using the hammers in a threatening manner – however, if she were proven to be part of a gang, she’d get five years in jail.
All types of crime featured in the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer
- Brandishing a weapon
- Reckless driving
- Jaywalking
- First degree burglary
- Street racing
- Resisting arrest
- Indecent exposure
- Using a weapon in a threatening manner
- Destruction of property
- Theft of services
- Dangerous driving
- Second degree burglary
There were at least eight instances of reckless driving shown in the trailer, from the dirt bikes doing wheelies to people removing themselves from their moving vehicles altogether. These bad drivers could be incarcerated for up to five years in Florida for these repeat offences.
And when it comes to street racing, it's not just the two drivers doing doughnut maneuvers in the city that are breaking the law - those blocking the roads with cars or even spectating the event could be charged if they are seen to be disturbing the peace around them.
The two alligators could also be tried for burglary if, in court, the gators were proven to have an intent to steal. In fact, the second gator entering the café would face up to 15 years in jail (or the naughty cage at the zoo) as the property was occupied when the reptile started the robbery.
A GTA BOOM spokesperson commented on the findings saying: “The trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI by Rockstar was highly anticipated by fans, especially given that the previous installment in the series was released in 2013. The franchise has gained a large, devoted following – but some people are concerned that the trailer's portrayal of criminal and violent behavior may glamorize these actions.
“With only one consequence of crime shown throughout the trailer, which instead focuses on the appeal of parties, money, and breaking the law, younger fans could be misled by this portrayal as to the seriousness of unlawful behavior and may have a more relaxed view on violent acts as a result.
“However, it should be noted that Grand Theft Auto V is a game rated R18+ by the ESRB and should not be played by those 17 and below. With that in mind, it is up to the guardians of children to ensure their children are not exposed to the unsavory behaviors shown in Grand Theft Auto.
“When playing any video game, it is essential to remember that they depict a fantasy world that allows you to do things you cannot in the real world. Taking concepts or behaviors from any game could be dangerous to yourself and others around you.”
-ENDS-
Methodology – Data was gathered by watching and noting criminal behavior within the Rockstar Grand Theft Auto VI trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdBZY2fkU-0
Local law sites were used to identify crimes and calculate the maximum penalty: https://fdc.myflorida.com/pub/sen_cpcm/cpc_manual.pdf
If you use this release, please include a link to the researcher, GTA BOOM This ensures we can keep providing you with articles you may be interested in.
All crimes featured in the GTA VI trailer
| Description of Crime | Category of Crime | Trailer Timestamp | Florida Max Time (Repeat Offenders) |
| Holding the gun on an airboat | Brandishing a weapon | 0:19 | One Year |
| Standing in a moving vehicle | Reckless driving | 0:25 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Leaning out of a moving vehicle | Reckless driving | 0:25 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Jaywalking | Jaywalking | 0:33 |
|
| Sitting on top of a moving vehicle | Reckless driving | 0:44 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Uninvited gator crashes pool party - would have to prove intent to steal | 1st degree burglary | 0:42 | Five years |
| Cars doing doughnuts maneuvers | Street racing | 0:45 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Hosting a street race | Street racing | 0:45 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Spectating a street race | Street racing | 0:45 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Blocking traffic with vehicle | Street racing | 0:45 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Parked in the middle of an intersection | Street racing | 0:45 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Gator breaking into a café - with proven intent to steal | 2nd degree burglary | 0:47 | 15 Years |
| Avoiding arrest | Resisting arrest | 0:50 | Five Years |
| Public nudity/indecent exposure | Indecent exposure | 0:50 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Parked on a highway | Reckless driving | 0:51 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Getting out of a moving vehicle on a highway | Reckless driving | 0:53 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Woman with two hammers (dangerous weapons) | Using a weapon in a threatening manner | 0:58 | Five ears |
| Man breaking a table | Destruction of property | 0:59 | 5 years if table is valued over $1000 |
| Dine and dashing | Theft of services | 1:04 | Up to 30 years if the value is over $20,000 |
| Flipping car over | Dangerous driving | 1:04 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Wheelie on public road | Dangerous driving | 1:04 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Avoiding arrest on dirt bikes - causing havoc to police | Resisting arrest | 1:06 | Five Years |
| Robbery | 2nd degree burglary- because of occupancy | 1:09 | 15 Years |
| Skidding on road | Dangerous driving | 1:11 | Five years - for repeat offenders |
| Armed Robbery | 1st degree burglary - because of weapons | 1:17 | 30 Years |
All the best,
Kieran Griffiths
kieran.griffiths@journoresearch.org
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