The series centers on different protagonists who attempt to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld, although their motives for doing so vary in each title. The original game's map encompassed three cities-Liberty City (based on New York City), San Andreas (based on San Francisco), and Vice City (based on Miami)-but later titles tend to focus on a single setting usually one of the original three locales, albeit remodelled and significantly expanded. The games in the Grand Theft Auto series are set in fictional locales modelled after real-life cities, at various points in time from the early 1960s to the 2010s. The series also has elements of the earlier beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era. Most of the gameplay revolves around driving and shooting, with occasional role-playing and stealth elements. Gameplay focuses on an open world where the player can complete missions to progress an overall story, as well as engage in various side activities. The name of the series references the term 'grand theft auto', used in the United States for motor vehicle theft. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design), and published by its parent company, Rockstar Games.

Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. Grand Theft Auto ( GTA) is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly.