Original GTA Artist on the GTA 6 Cover

What did Stephen Bliss say?

On 29 October 2026 IGN published an interview with Stephen Bliss, recorded at the Lucca Comics and Games festival in Italy. Bliss was a senior artist at Rockstar Games from 2001 to 2016 and helped create the comic book, pop art look of Grand Theft Auto covers.

About the GTA 6 cover he said he had “nothing to do with” it, but he noticed that Rockstar still uses the box grid and still puts the helicopter in the top-left corner, two things he developed. “I’m flattered by that,” he said.

Key facts from the interview

• Bliss worked at Rockstar on GTA 3, Vice City and The Warriors before other artists joined.
• He gives credit to Rockstar artists Anthony Macbain and Steven Olds and says he does not want to take all the credit.
• He says he did not work on the GTA 5 covers, and tells fans this when they ask him to sign them.
• His influence is in the GTA 6 cover, he says, but it is “its own language” with only little references to his work.
• The full IGN interview also covers how 9/11 changed the GTA 3 cover art.

Why it matters

The grid cover is one of the most famous looks in gaming. GTA 6 keeps it more than 20 years later, now with Lucia and Jason. See the art in our trailers guide.

Sources

• IGN: Original GTA artist says he’s flattered to see his influence in GTA 6 cover art
• IGN: Stephen Bliss explains how he defined the series’ iconic visual style

Labels: Official = Rockstar or the company itself, Reported = previews or press, Unconfirmed = not stated by Rockstar.

What to read next

• GTA 6 trailers
• GTA 6 characters
• GTA 6 release time