The Onion Takes Aim at GTA 6 Hype Ahead of Launch

With Grand Theft Auto 6 less than a month from release, the game is set to dominate culture in a way few titles ever have. People are planning sick days, economists are worrying, and arguments about in-game relationships are already happening. Now, satirical publication The Onion has joined the conversation, ready to deflate some of that hype.

The Onion has already published several GTA 6 headlines in recent months, including jokes about hyperrealistic prison sentences and a soundtrack made up entirely of Randy Newman songs. In an interview about The Onion's first video game, head writer Mike Gillis explained why GTA 6 is such a good target for satire.

Why GTA 6 Is Funny to The Onion

Gillis said the world of massive, big-budget games is inherently funny. When something becomes a center of gravity like GTA 6, he said, there is joy in deflating it and playing with people's expectations. The idea that any game could change everything forever is absurd to him. He pointed out that no cultural product has ever changed everything permanently, and that GTA 6 will make a big impact before eventually fading away.

At the same time, Gillis remains genuinely excited for the game as a fan. That balance between enthusiasm and mockery is central to The Onion's approach to video game satire, which the site has practiced for decades. He said writing satire about games means rejecting the outdated idea that gaming is an embarrassing hobby.

Satire Meets Satire

Gillis described video games as a wide expanse that includes toys, propaganda, and corporate products designed to extract money in addictive ways. But he also called gaming one of the most unvarnished joys, and said that love for the medium comes through in The Onion's work.

GTA 6 presents a unique challenge for The Onion because the series itself is famous for lampooning modern culture, including the video game industry. Whether The Onion can out-satirize a franchise built on satire remains to be seen, but with the game's enormous scope, there will be plenty of material to work with.

What do you think—can The Onion's jokes about GTA 6 land harder than the game's own satire, or is Rockstar already in on the joke?