Claim: Grand Theft Auto V is an open world action-adventure game.

Grand Theft Auto -LRB- officially abbreviated GTA -RRB- is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly ; the later titles of which were created by brothers Dan and Sam Houser , Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut . It is primarily developed by Rockstar North -LRB- formerly DMA Design -RRB- , and published by Rockstar Games . The name of the series references the term used in the US for motor vehicle theft .   Most games in the series are set in fictional locales modelled on cities , usually either Liberty City , Vice City or San Andreas , which are stand-ins for New York City , Miami and the state of California , respectively . The first game encompassed three fictional cities , while subsequent titles tend to emphasise a single setting . Gameplay focuses on an open world where the player can choose missions to progress an overall story , as well as engaging in side activities , all consisting of action-adventure , driving , third-person shooting , occasional role-playing , stealth and racing elements . The series focuses around many different protagonists who attempt to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld , although their motives for doing so vary in each game . The series also has elements of the earlier beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era . The antagonists are commonly characters who have betrayed the protagonist or his organisation , or characters who have the most impact impeding the protagonist 's progress . Film and music veterans have voiced characters , including Ray Liotta , Burt Reynolds , Dennis Hopper , Samuel L. Jackson , James Woods , Debbie Harry , Phil Collins , Axl Rose and Peter Fonda . With its British origin , the series contains satire and humour .   British video game developer DMA Design began the series in . , it has eleven stand-alone games and four expansion packs . The third chronological title , Grand Theft Auto III , is considered a landmark title , as it brought the series to a 3D setting and more immersive experience . Subsequent titles would follow and build upon the concept established in Grand Theft Auto III , and receive significant acclaim . They subsequently influenced many other open world action games , and led to the label Grand Theft Auto clone on similar games .   The series has been critically acclaimed and commercially successful , having shipped more than 250 million units , making it the fourth-highest selling video game franchise of all time , behind Nintendo 's Mario and Pokémon franchises , and Tetris . In 2006 , Grand Theft Auto featured in a list of British design icons in the Great British Design Quest organised by the BBC and the Design Museum . In 2013 , The Telegraph ranked Grand Theft Auto among Britain 's most successful exports . However , the series has also gained controversy for its adult nature and violent themes .