The internet is currently obsessed with keeping a tally. It’s a weird, slightly desperate, and hilariously cynical ledger of everything that has happened in the world since Rockstar Games last released a numbered Grand Theft Auto title. Every time a major geopolitical event occurs, or a celebrity does something unhinged, or a scientific breakthrough happens, the comments sections are flooded with the same phrase: "We got [this thing] before GTA 6."
It’s everywhere.
Honestly, the we got before gta 6 meme has become the universal yardstick for measuring the passage of time in the digital age. We aren't counting years anymore. We’re counting the things that managed to exist before Lucia and Jason ever hit our screens.
Think about it. We’ve had a global pandemic. We saw the rise and fall of the NFT craze. We’ve watched the entire arc of the MCU's Multiverse Saga (well, most of it) and seen several British Prime Ministers cycle through 10 Downing Street faster than a getaway car in Los Santos. When you realize that GTA V launched on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the sheer scale of the delay starts to feel like a glitch in the simulation.
The Origins of a Cultural Measurement Tool
Memes usually die in a week. This one didn’t.
The longevity of the we got before gta 6 meme is tied directly to the unprecedented gap between entries in the franchise. Back in the day, Rockstar was a machine. GTA III came out in 2001. Vice City in 2002. San Andreas in 2004. Even with the jump to the HD era, GTA IV arrived in 2008. But after GTA V hit in 2013, the clock just... stopped.
People started noticing that life was moving at 100 mph while the gaming industry’s biggest titan was seemingly standing still, content to milk GTA Online for all it was worth. The meme started as a genuine complaint from frustrated fans on Reddit and X (then Twitter). It was a way to vent. Over time, it evolved into a template for literally anything.
We got the first-ever image of a black hole before GTA 6. We got the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. We got the return of the McRib (several times). Heck, we even got a whole new Red Dead Redemption game, which is massive in its own right, yet the hunger for the next GTA remains the dominant force in gaming culture.
Why This Meme Actually Works (and Stays Relevant)
It’s about the absurdity of the timeline.
When someone says "We got the Apple Vision Pro before GTA 6," they aren't just talking about a headset. They’re pointing out that entire technological eras have begun and matured while Rockstar remained silent. It’s a form of collective coping. Gamers use the meme to ground themselves in a reality where a decade-plus wait for a sequel is fundamentally ridiculous.
There's also a "main character" energy to the franchise. Grand Theft Auto isn't just a game; it's a cultural event. Because it parodies modern life so effectively, the fact that modern life has changed so drastically since 2013 makes the wait feel even longer. We are living in a world that GTA V didn't even have the vocabulary to satirize yet.
Some of the Wildest Comparisons
Look at the hardware. We’ve gone through two entire console generations. Players who were in middle school when the first trailer for GTA V dropped are now working full-time jobs, paying mortgages, and perhaps raising their own kids who will eventually play GTA 6.
- Generative AI: We literally taught computers how to paint and write before we got the next GTA.
- The Twitter Rebrand: A billion-dollar social media platform changed its name to a letter of the alphabet.
- The Return of 2000s Fashion: Low-rise jeans came back into style before we went back to Vice City.
It’s also about the "fakes." For years, the community was plagued by "leakers" claiming the game was coming "next year." Every time a rumor was debunked, the we got before gta 6 meme grew stronger. It became a shield against disappointment. If you expect everything else to happen first, you can’t be let down.
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The Rockstar Silence and the Leak That Changed Everything
Rockstar Games is famously secretive. They don't do "Roadmaps." They don't do "Dev Diaries." They just drop a logo on a Tuesday and break the internet. This silence acted as oxygen for the meme. Without official news, the community filled the void with their own brand of humor.
Then came September 2022.
The massive leak that showed early development footage was a turning point. For the first time, we saw that the game actually existed. It wasn't just a myth. But even that footage—rough, unfinished, and full of developer tools—just fueled more memes. "We got leaked dev footage before the official trailer," people joked.
When the official Trailer 1 finally dropped in December 2023, the meme didn't die. It just shifted. Instead of "We got [X] before GTA 6," it became "We got [X] before GTA 6 Trailer 2." The goalposts moved because the release date was set for 2025. That gave the internet another two years of runway to find more things that would beat the game to the punch.
The Psychological Impact of the "Long Wait"
There is a genuine sense of "FOMO" (fear of missing out) on life events because of this game. You’ll see people jokingly posting, "Lord, please keep me safe until 2025, I need to see this game." It’s dark humor, sure, but it speaks to how much weight this single piece of entertainment carries.
Psychologically, the we got before gta 6 meme is a way to handle "hype fatigue." When you’re excited for something for over a decade, that excitement can turn into bitterness. Memeing it keeps the energy light. It turns the frustration into a game of its own. Who can find the most obscure or massive thing that happened before the game?
The "Trailer 2" Era of Memeing
Since the first trailer, the internet has entered a fever pitch. Every time Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has an earnings call, investors and fans alike scramble for scraps of info. Usually, they get nothing.
And so, the list grows.
Since the trailer dropped, we’ve seen the rise of various viral sensations that have already been meme'd into the GTA context. People are already betting on whether we’ll get a man on the moon again before the game hits shelves. It sounds like hyperbole, but in the context of Rockstar’s development cycles, nothing is off the table.
Misconceptions About the Delay
A lot of people think Rockstar is just "lazy." That’s objectively wrong. The reality is that the scale of GTA 6 is likely so massive that it requires a level of "crunch" and polish that most studios can't even comprehend. Plus, GTA Online was a victim of its own success. When you’re making billions from a decade-old game, the pressure to rush the sequel vanishes.
Also, let’s talk about the "Florida Joker." The fact that real-life people are seeing themselves in the trailer and trying to sue Rockstar is the ultimate "meta" moment. We got real-life lawsuits before the game even had a second trailer. The meme writes itself at this point.
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How to Actually Use This Meme Without Being Cringe
If you’re a creator or just someone posting on social media, there’s a wrong way to do this. Don't just slap the phrase on anything. The best versions of the meme highlight things that are:
- Historically Significant: Something that feels like it should have taken fifty years, not ten.
- Absurdly Specific: A very niche pop culture moment that nonetheless feels like it marks an era.
- Self-Deprecating: Acknowledging how much older we’ve all gotten while waiting.
The meme works because it's a shared experience. Everyone—from the hardcore gamer to the person who only knows GTA as "that car-stealing game"—understands the joke. It’s the ultimate "you had to be there" for a generation that has been waiting since the Obama administration for a sequel.
What Happens When the Game Actually Drops?
There is a legitimate fear that once GTA 6 is in our hands, a part of the internet’s soul will die. What will we use for a reference point then? Half-Life 3? The Elder Scrolls VI?
Those don't have the same cultural footprint. GTA is the sun that the gaming world orbits. When the meme finally dies, it will be replaced by a different kind of obsession: analyzing every frame of the game for the next ten years.
Until then, expect the list to keep growing. We will probably get more breakthroughs in cold fusion, a few more social media platform collapses, and maybe even a new continent before we finally get to step back into Vice City.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're tired of waiting and the memes aren't enough, here's how to stay sane:
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- Avoid "Leaker" Accounts: 99% of "GTA 6 News" accounts on X and TikTok are engagement farming. They don't have inside info. They just want your clicks.
- Check Take-Two Earnings Reports: If you want real info, look at the financial filings. They often confirm "release windows" for investors, which is the only reliable data we have.
- Replay the Classics: There’s a reason these games take a long time. Go back and play GTA IV or Red Dead 2. You'll notice details you missed, and it makes the wait for the next "masterpiece" a little more understandable.
- Curate Your Feed: Use "Muted Words" on social media if you’re tired of seeing the same fake rumors every day. It'll save your mental health.
The wait is long, but if the history of Rockstar is any indication, the game will likely redefine the medium for another decade. Until that day comes, just keep track of the world. We’re making history every day—mostly because we’re doing it all before GTA 6.