There have been numerous spooky video game urban legends and hoaxes throughout the years, but few game series have seen as many as Rockstar’s open-world Grand Theft Auto franchise.
Perhaps because of their open-world nature and the fact that there are many legitimate creepy easter eggs to be found in the games, the Grand Theft Auto series has spawned a dizzying number of urban legends over the years.
Who is Urban Legend in GTA?
Some of these Grand Theft Auto urban legends are plausible, and many people have been duped into believing them. Others are a little more ridiculous, but people claim they saw them in the games, so their reputation lives on.
In the spirit of Halloween, we’ll look at some of the creepiest Grand Theft Auto urban legends that have emerged over the years and debate whether or not they’re true.
Ghost Vehicles
Grand Theft Auto users have reported seeing “ghost” vehicles in the games that don’t have any passengers across numerous games in the series. These vehicles appear to drive themselves, and they can even become hostile and try to run players down.
The most likely explanation is that these ghost vehicles are the consequence of a glitch, but it doesn’t make them any less terrifying. One of the most notorious examples is the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas “ghost Vortex.”
This Grand Theft Auto urban legend, like the suicidal photographer, appears to have some validity in reality, albeit it’s most likely just a malfunction.
Ratman
GTA 4’s Ratman is one of the most well-known Grand Theft Auto urban legends. After a photo appeared online purportedly confirming its existence, stories of this elusive and substantial creature began to circulate.
However, the fact that almost no one else has ever encountered Ratman and that there is no reference to the alleged Ratman in the game’s archives indicates that this one is most likely a fraud. Nonetheless, there is some sliver of evidence of Ratman’s existence in Grand Theft Auto 4, such as weird orange stains in subway systems that some have suggested are “Ratman’s blood.”
Some video game easter eggs take years to locate, so it’s possible that gamers haven’t found out how to call Ratman yet, but we believe someone would have discovered hard evidence of Ratman by now.
CJ’s Mom’s Ghost
Carl “CJ” Johnson returns to Grove Street at the start of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas due to the death of his mother. Some San Andreas players claim to have seen CJ’s mother’s ghost lingering inside her home or even walking down Grove Street at night.
Others have claimed that CJ’s mother’s ghost can still be found in the graveyard. While it’s an unsettling concept, no actual proof of CJ’s mother’s ghost presence has been discovered. Therefore, this GTA urban legend is almost certainly a fabrication.
Bigfoot
The appearance of Bigfoot in the Grand Theft Auto games is a little more complicated. Bigfoot was a complete myth in San Andreas, but in Grand Theft Auto 5, players might find a man costumed as Bigfoot. Some players have claimed that an authentic Bigfoot can be found in the jungles of GTA 5. However, this has yet to be proved.
In Grand Theft Auto 5, however, players can temporarily morph into Bigfoot by swallowing the Golden Peyote plant.
Suicidal Photographer
The sheer magnitude of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas means that many GTA urban legends from the past revolve around this open-world classic. One of the more distressing San Andreas urban legends, however, relates to a suicidal photographer.
A photographer NPC who snaps a photo and then walks into the ocean to his death has been reported by several players. This may be merely a glitched NPC, but it’s also plausible that Rockstar put this character in the game on purpose to frighten gamers out. Some film of the San Andreas suicidal photographer is available online. Thus, it appears that this urban legend is founded on truth.
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