Grand Theft Auto: The American Dream

Grand Theft Auto: The American Dream is a 2018 action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the eighth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2013's Grand Theft Auto V, and the sixteenth installment overall. The story follows Mexican gangster Jhonny Velásquez, who fled to San Andreas after the fictitious Durango Cartel put a hit on his name after he was accused of stealing money, only to be drawn back into the life of crime as he crosses paths with various gangs, corrupt officials, and powerful crime lords. Players can freely roam the open world countryside of San Andreas, the major cities of Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas, as well as minor cities such as Rose City and Nueva Pelabravo.

The game can be played in either third-person or first-person mode, and the world can be explored on foot or by vehicle. Jhonny Velásquez is controlled by the player throughout the single-player mode. The game also includes an online multiplayer mode, which allows up to 32 players to engage in cooperative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting.

The development of Grand Theft Auto: The American Dream began shortly after the release of Grand Theft Auto V. The open world was the focus of much of the development work, and several team members conducted field research around California and Nevada to capture footage for the design team. The game's soundtrack includes an original score composed by a team of producers who worked together for several years, as well as fresh partnerships such as with Emotional Oranges. Grand Theft Auto: The American Dream was released in November 2018, exactly 21 years after the first Grand Theft Auto was released in 1997, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in June 2019 for Windows, and in November 2022 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The game received critical acclaim upon its release, with praise focusing on its presentation, gameplay, map diversity and the return of the three cities from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In retrospect, it is regarded as one of the most significant titles of the eighth generation of console gaming, as well as one of the best video games ever created. It is among the best-selling video games with over 45 million copies sold by 2020. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto VI, is scheduled to be released in 2025.