Grand Theft Auto 6 Recycles Red Dead Redemption 2 for Its Trailer
On Thursday after years of waiting, rumors, and leaks, Rockstar Games finally showed everyone our first look at gameplay of Grand Theft Auto 6, its upcoming open‑world sequel that is set to be one of the biggest games in history. And during that extended look, Rockstar included a commercial for an Arby’s parody. Funny, sure. But if you’ve played a lot of Red Dead Redemption II, you probably felt deja vu, because Rockstar used RDR 2 to create that ad.
During the nearly 30‑minute reveal I spotted something odd in a Chacey’s commercial for a comically large sandwich made of deer, warthogs and rabbits. A Reddit user later confirmed the footage came from the same spot in Red Dead Redemption 2, as shown In fact, someone on Reddit actually found the specific location in Rockstar’s open‑world cowboy simulator.
Rockstar has a long habit of reusing assets from its older titles. Since GTA IV (2008) you can watch TV shows that include clips from spot GTA San Andreas in some ads and programs, including shots of Las Venturas during a poker tournament. You can also catch a glimpse of Bullworth Academy from Bully in GTA IV as well.
In Grand Theft Auto 5 you can watch a movie in theaters that spoof arthouse films, and the black‑and‑white picture contains shots from Red Dead Redemption as well as a cameo of the Statue of Happiness’ giant heart, an Easter egg hidden in GTA IV.
I’m not surprised Rockstar again relied on this method for GTA 6. Instead of modeling countless animals, they filmed the ad in a modified RDR 2, saving time and reusing existing assets. It also lets them drop Easter eggs and connections to other Rockstar games for fans to discover. I expect future TV spots in GTA 6 to feature cameos from titles like GTA V’s Los Santos or even zombie action from Red Dead’s Undead Nightmare DLC. I can’t wait to watch TV in GTA 6, a weird but exciting prospect.
