Every mainline GTA since III has used a grid of illustrated panels on the box. Here is where that came from, how it works and what changed on the GTA VI cover.
Where the grid came from
The panel grid started with Grand Theft Auto III in 2001, and it was not the original plan. The first cover was a single painted action scene. Stephen Bliss, the Rockstar designer who painted it, has said it took about six months and was heading to print for the Christmas release.
After the September 11 attacks, Rockstar decided that cover was too heavy and replaced it. Dan Houser told IGN the decision was partly because of 9/11. Bliss has described what he did: he cut the non-violent images out of the original collage and placed them in a box grid. Accounts of how long that took differ. Houser has said the montage came together overnight; Bliss later said he had about a week.
Either way, the result stuck. Every mainline game since has used a version of that grid, and it is now as much a part of the series' identity as the logo.
How a GTA cover is put together
A GTA cover reads like a film poster split into a comic page. A few rules make it work, and they are worth following if you build your own.
- One idea per panel. A face, a car, a boat, a helicopter, a place. Panels never try to tell a whole scene.
- A mix of people and things. Portraits carry the cover, but the vehicles and locations tell you what kind of game it is.
- Dark gutters. The thin dark gaps between panels separate the images and make each one pop, even when they clash in colour.
- Different panel sizes. The biggest panel holds the main characters, and the eye goes there first.
- The logo inside the grid, not on top of a blank area. It sits in a hole among the panels, so it reads as part of the artwork.
- One painted style across every panel, so nine unrelated images still look like one cover.
What the GTA VI cover does differently
Rockstar revealed the official Grand Theft Auto VI cover art on 18 June 2026, alongside the announcement that pre-orders would open on 25 June. It keeps the panel collage, with the two leads, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, in the top middle panel. Around them are a helicopter, a stunt rider on a motorbike, Boobie Ike, Raul Bautista, a sports car, a speedboat and an alligator, a clear nod to the game's Florida-inspired setting.
Three things stand out against the straight box grid described for GTA III. First, the panel edges tilt slightly, so the gutters run at small angles and the whole cover feels less rigid. Second, the logo sits in the centre of the grid, framed by a dark ledge, with the large VI numeral behind the words. Third, the colour is unified by a sunset palette: purples, pinks and oranges that match the gradient inside the numeral.
Tips for a cover with your own photos
- Put the best portrait of the main pair or the main person in the top middle panel, where Lucia and Jason sit.
- Use at least two non-face panels: a car, a pet, a view, the venue. A cover of nine faces reads more like a yearbook.
- Pick photos with similar light. Nine photos from nine different evenings look like a contact sheet; warm, bright daylight shots look like one cover.
- Keep the centre panel for something that can be partly covered. The logo sits over the middle of the cover.
- Write short words on the logo. Three lines of four to eight letters keep the block the same shape as the original.
Build it in the GTA 6 cover maker
The Vice layout on this site follows the nine slanted panels of the GTA VI cover, with the original artwork in every panel until you replace it. The site is fan-made and not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.
- Open the cover maker. The Vice layout and GTA VI template are already selected.
- In the Photos tab, press Add photos and pick up to nine. They fill the panels that still show the original art first.
- Tap a numbered panel to replace just that photo, or press its cross to go back to the original artwork.
- In the Text tab, keep "grand theft auto" and VI, or type your own three lines and numeral.
- Press Download and choose Print for a 4096 pixel PNG, HD for 2160 pixels, or Instagram post for a 1080 pixel JPG.
FAQ
Who made the GTA III cover?
Stephen Bliss, then a designer at Rockstar, painted the original GTA III cover and made the grid version that replaced it after 9/11.
When was the GTA 6 cover art revealed?
Rockstar revealed the official GTA VI cover art on 18 June 2026, together with the news that pre-orders would open on 25 June.
Who is on the GTA 6 cover?
Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval sit in the top middle panel. Boobie Ike and Raul Bautista also appear, along with a helicopter, a motorbike stunt, a sports car, a speedboat and an alligator.
