The clothing store chains Binco, Didier Sachs, ProLaps, Sub Urban, Victim and Zip all appear or are mentioned in both the 3D Universe and the HD Universe.The restaurants Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell, as well as the brand ECola and its lemon soda, the Sprunk, all appear in 3D and HD Universes.Radio Los Santos and WCTR both appear in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto V.Different renditions of Head Radio exist in the 2D and 3D Universes.Some characters and/or their backstories have been mentioned across universes. However, there are elements (characters, places, vehicles, companies, etc.) which appear (or at least, seem to appear) in more than one universe, but these cases usually tend to have some differences between the Universes.Īlthough the universes are designed as separate entities, there are occasional references to previous universes, with some place names, businesses, vehicle names etc. However, that does not mean that many characters will do so, nor that the games are similar or closely related at all.
Games being in the same universe means that they exist on the same planet, and theoretically characters could occur in multiple games across that universe. However, some things do exist appear in multiple universes, including company brands, vehicles, placenames, weapons, and in-series celebrities (e.g Lazlow). A previous universe would be like a mythical universe that never really existed. Each successive universe re-boots the franchise and may retcon the "canon" established in a previous universe. Locations that appear in multiple universes are completely rebuilt, rather than just updated.
Interview with Dan Houser in The GuardianĪ universe can be considered a completely separate ' canon' of places, people, and events that exist in the same universe. We might allude to things from that world, but we didn't want it to feel like, well, here's the opposite of an immigration story – we wanted a fresh take on what it means to be a criminal in this world of hyper-real Americana". "Niko had a particular kind of story and we're trying to make this different. But will we see stories from the previous game looping into this one? "I think that might be too mannered," says Houser. “ Dan says that no one before GTA IV will be in it – the move to HD created a schism in this fictional universe, rendering CJ, Toni and co, as mythical characters from a bygone era.