gta 1
GTA 1 key facts
Release dates, platforms, setting
GTA 1 › Key facts
The key facts about GTA 1, each checked against two sources.
A fact is listed where at least two independent sources agree. Where release dates differ between sources by a day or two, the less precise date is given.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Grand Theft Auto |
| Released (PC, Europe) | 28 November 1997 |
| Released (PlayStation, Europe) | 14 December 1997 (Wikipedia says 12 December 1997) |
| Released (PlayStation, North America) | 30 June 1998 |
| Released (Game Boy Color, Europe) | October 1999 |
| Released (Game Boy Color, North America) | November 1999 (22 November per gta.wiki and Fandom) |
| Developer | DMA Design |
| Port developers | Visual Sciences (PlayStation), Tarantula Studios (Game Boy Color) |
| Publisher | BMG Interactive (Europe); ASC Games (North America, PC); Take-Two Interactive (North America, PlayStation); Rockstar Games (Game Boy Color) |
| Platforms | MS-DOS and Windows PC, PlayStation, Game Boy Color |
| Setting (cities) | Liberty City, San Andreas, Vice City |
| Real-world basis | Liberty City on New York City, San Andreas on San Francisco, Vice City on Miami |
| Year set | 1997 |
| Structure | Six levels, two per city, unlocked in sequence |
| Playable characters | Eight selectable characters on PC (four male, four female): Bubba, Divine, Katie, Kivlov, Mikki, Travis, Troy, Ulrika; four on PlayStation; choice is cosmetic |
| Perspective | Top-down 2D |
| Expansions | London 1969 and London 1961 (both 1999) |
Mission list: Liberty City (2)
| # | Mission | Given by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gangsta Bang | Robert "Bubby" Seragliano (Vercotti crime family) | Target 1,000,000 points; 4 South Park phone jobs plus 7 vehicle jobs |
| 2 | Heist Almighty | Robert "Bubby" Seragliano (Vercotti crime family) | Target 2,000,000 points; 4 North Fort Law phone jobs plus vehicle jobs |
Mission list: San Andreas (2)
| # | Mission | Given by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Mandarin Mayhem | Uncle Fu | Target 2,000,000 points; 8 multi-part phone jobs (Central Market, then North Sunview) |
| 4 | Tequila Slammer | El Burro | Target 3,000,000 points; 8 two-part phone jobs (Telephone Hill, then Sailor's Wharf) |
Mission list: Vice City (2)
| # | Mission | Given by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Bent Cop Blues | Samuel Deever | Target 3,000,000 points; 16 phone jobs including 4 hidden ones |
| 6 | Rasta Blasta | Brother Marcus | Target 5,000,000 points; 15 phone jobs including 3 hidden ones |
Weapons: Melee (1)
| Weapon | Note |
|---|---|
| Fist | Default when no gun is selected; knocks people down but does not kill |
Weapons: Handgun (1)
| Weapon | Note |
|---|---|
| Pistol | Weakest and most common firearm |
Weapons: Automatic (1)
| Weapon | Note |
|---|---|
| Machine Gun | Rapid-fire gun found in most areas |
Weapons: Heavy (2)
| Weapon | Note |
|---|---|
| Rocket Launcher | Explosive rockets with splash damage; best against vehicles; rare |
| Flamethrower | Short-range stream of fire effective against groups; rare |
Weapons: Vehicle weapon (1)
| Weapon | Note |
|---|---|
| Car Bomb | Explosive fitted to a car at a bomb shop |
Weapons: Pickup (1)
| Weapon | Note |
|---|---|
| Armor | Body armor that absorbs three bullet hits; no protection from other damage |
Radio stations: Every station (7)
| Station | Genre | Note |
|---|---|---|
| N-CT FM | Hip hop, rap | |
| Radio '76 FM | Funk | Referred to in game as Funk FM |
| Head Radio | Rock | gta.wiki says techno and rock; grandtheftwiki says pop and rock |
| The Fix FM | Electronic dance | gta.wiki says house and dance; grandtheftwiki says techno |
| It's Unleashed FM | Hard rock, alternative rock | |
| The Fergus Buckner Show FM | Country | |
| Brooklyn Underground FM | Electronic | gta.wiki says drum and bass and techno; grandtheftwiki says trance |
100% checklist: Levels (1)
| Requirement | How many |
|---|---|
| Complete all levels across Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City | 6 |
100% checklist: Score target (6)
| Requirement | How many |
|---|---|
| Gangsta Bang (Liberty City) | 1,000,000 |
| Heist Almighty (Liberty City) | 2,000,000 |
| Mandarin Mayhem (San Andreas) | 2,000,000 |
| Tequila Slammer (San Andreas) | 3,000,000 |
| Bent Cop Blues (Vice City) | 3,000,000 |
| Rasta Blasta (Vice City) | 5,000,000 |
Quick answers
When did GTA 1 come out?
It was first released in 1997. The table has the date for each platform.
Related pages
Sources: Cross-checked on November 13, 2026 between en.wikipedia.org, gta.wiki, gta.fandom.com, grandtheftwiki.com, strategywiki.org. A line is listed only where at least two of them agree. Last checked 2026-11-13.