GTA 6 Fans Witness Call Of Duty: Black Ops Reference In Reveal Trailer

Grand Theft Auto is renowned to the world as a cult game. It has managed to transcend from being one of the popular games, to being a global phenomenon that has managed to take the world by storm, one challenge at a time. It was an escape – to say the least. Grand Theft Auto franchises allowed people to delve into an edgier side of their personalities, allowing them to glimpse what the fun part of breaking a few laws and beefing with law enforcement would bring them.

When the first part of the franchise, Grand Theft Auto I came out, it was a fairly unknown game, although to the gaming world, it was the start of a massive shift of force. The late nineties are known as the boom era for video games, and for an excellent reason.

In the first franchise, we followed the protagonist on a journey across three different cities, and various locations which were inspired by real-life cities. It offered an Open Play environment for the gamers and urged the fans by toppling chapters by placating them in front of tasks which would ultimately end their players in handcuffs.

The original title for Grand Theft Auto was Race n Chase, wherein the gameplay differed slightly from the game we have come to love over the last two decades. It was pronounced as dull, and not very much fun which is the biggest selling point for any game – let alone one that allows players to explore their dark side by setting out on crimes.

Over the years, we have observed Grand Theft Auto blossom into the cult classic that it is today. Grand Theft Auto has managed to stay in roots and stay grounded. They have taken inspiration from many real-life cities and painted them a color of their own. In the first franchise, there was Liberty City, which was inspired by New York. Then, we have the fictional state of San Andreas which is said to have been an inspiration of the state of California. We also have a fan-favorite Vice City, which is obviously named after Miami and also has a similar vibe to it.

And, now Rockstar Games are at it again with the launch of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) VI. GTA VI was said to be in the works for over a decade, with the last release of its predecessor in 2013. Before the launch of the trailer, Rockstar Games followed a very cryptic way of announcing that something was coming, and soon. They were dropping hints on their X account, sending the fans into a frenzy.

There were posts about leaks, from people who had allegedly seen the trailer before its drop on Reddit, Youtube, etc. All in all, people were positively tingling with anticipation when the parent company announced the trailer launch for Grand Theft Auto VI in the first week of December.

The Action Adventure Gaming Franchise is set in the fictional state of Leonida – clearly named after Florida – and Vice City, its counterpart for Miami. Vice City has been featured in the franchise multiple times starting in the Original GTA franchise in 1997, and followed by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in the year 2002 wherein it was the main setting for the Gameplay. It was also the main setting for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in 2006.

The storyline follows the misadventures of Lucia who is the first ever Female protagonist of Grand Theft Auto Franchise since 2000, and her male partner whose name hasn’t been made known yet. The two are a criminal duo and take the city of vices up by storm. Lucia is first seen as a prison inmate, and later is seen evading custody with her parents.

Players have poured in from all over the world to dip their feet into the pool of the proverbial trailer, noticing hints, Easter Eggs, and shade being thrown over some of their rival Gaming Franchises.

One such instance is this – a man wearing a T-shirt with Righteous Slaughter written on it can be seen at the one-minute and eight-second mark. Righteous Slaughter is Grand Theft Auto’s answer to Call of Duty, allegedly inspired by the infamous franchise. And the cherry on top is the word Ops scribbled underneath Righteous Slaughter which fans were quick to detect was a nod to the Call of Duty: Blacks Ops Video Game Franchise.

This scene was posted by a social media user HighRollerzMag, and it was one of the few glimpses that give us an account of what can be expected from the upcoming Video Gaming Franchise. Although the logo was obscurely hidden and it is something that most people won’t notice when watching the trailer, some gaming enthusiasts have posted the snippet online for people to recognize hints. 

The protagonist of GTA V, Michael De Santa’s son Jimmy in these snippets is often shown playing Righteous Slaughter, which indicates that it is definitely not the first time we have seen a Call of Duty reference in the Grand Theft Auto Franchise.

According to Rockstar Games, the person seen donning the Righter Slaughter T-shirt is Rod Wave. Rod Wave is an American Rapper, Singer, and Songwriter from Miami, but a nod to his character is seen in the trailer with the Righteous Slaughter T-shirt.

What sets Grand Theft Auto apart from the other Video Gaming Franchises in its league is that they are based on the satires of the modern contemporary world, and therefore such instances of other Games being referenced should come as no surprise.

With the release of the trailer, Grand Theft Auto has seemingly sent its fans into a frenzy, with gamers impatiently awaiting the pronounced release date in 2025. What is likely another success story on their hands, the creators at Rockstar Games know how to create tension, and anticipation and drive up their user stats. With its availability earmarked on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and S, we cannot wait for when Grand Theft Auto VI finally hits the shelves.