Grand Theft Autogames have a tendency to end in blood and betrayal, and—having seen the latestGTA 6trailer 50 times—I’m convinced that the upcoming game will be no different. In fact, Rockstar may be hiding at least one huge betrayal plot twist thatGTA 6players will experience at some point in the story.
As for who might betray whom, the world and story details Rockstar’s shared so far point to a few possibilities, with some appearing more likely than others. AlthoughGTA 6will feature a colorful cast of charactersthat’s bound to include some untrustworthy individuals, the most obvious and gut-wrenching twist the game could pull off would be having one of the two protagonists turn on the other. That would flip the whole Bonnie and Clyde dynamic on its head and, in classicGTAfashion, make things a whole lot messier.
GTA 6 Betrayal Option A: Lucia Turns on Jason
TheGTA 6theory about Lucia betraying Jasonhas so far gotten the most online traction. While the game’s chronology is still unclear, it would appear that Lucia will end up in the Leonida Penitentiary in the lead-up to the main story. According to her character vignette posted on theGTA 6website, “sheer luck got her out.” Getting an opportunity to work as a police informant could be what someone looking at a long sentence considers luck.
In one of the promotional materials for the game, Lucia and Jason are seen hugging while standing on what looks likeVice City’s Ocean Drive street. Upon closer inspection, one sinister detail emerges: she’s holding a gun behind his back. According to Jason’s own official bio, “meeting Lucia could be the best or worst thing to ever happen to him,” which further hints at the possibility of betrayal.
GTA 6 Betrayal Option B: Jason Turns on Lucia
While it initially didn’t gain as much online traction as the Lucia-betrays-Jason speculation, the opposite theory has some circumstantial evidence suggesting it’s in the realm of possibility. One thing that increasingly stands out to me on every rewatch of thesecondGTA 6traileris just how evasive Jason is when talking with a prison guard at the Leonida Penitentiary where he’s picking up Lucia. “I seen you here before?” the guard asks, with the protagonist replying with a non-committal “you might have” around the 59-second mark. Exactly 44 seconds later, another person accuses Jason of being “a fed.” While that character is presented as simply guarded rather than possessing damning information about Jason, the scene could be foreshadowing this precise plot twist.
YouTube channel The Game Theorists recentlypointed outsome more interesting hints that Jason may not be trustworthy. One such potential clue lies in Jason’s tattoo of a wounded eagle pierced by an arrow, a classical symbol of downfall brought on by one’s own pride that originates from a Greek fable. Jason’s also seen wearing a shirt with an eagle on the back while picking up Lucia from prison. Sure, it’s a satirical American eagle dual-wielding assault rifles under a “let freedom reign” slogan, but the core motif may still echo the symbolism of the tattoo. Traditionally, the imagery of a fallen eagle is often paired with a snake, as seen in Anne-Louis Girodet’s 18th-century painting “The Eagle Wounded by an Arrow,” where the snake represents deception. Curiously enough, Jason and Lucia are shown keeping a pet snake at home in the second trailer, possibly suggesting that the threat of deception is always present, living among them.
GTA 6 Betrayal Option C: The Player Gets to Decide Whom to Betray
Apart from Jason betraying Lucia and vice versa, it’s also possible thatGTA 6will embrace both scenarios. While this could play out in a linear story, there’s already precedent for letting players choose between betrayals, which is exactlyhowGTA 5’s endings were structured. If Rockstar revisits this approach, players might once again have the option to avoid turning on either protagonist, which would likely be the closest thingGTA 6offers to a happy ending.
Giving fans the power to shape the outcome ofGTA 6would align with Rockstar’s long-standing interest in pairing its storytelling with branching endings, which is a trend that began withGTA 4in 2008. Even if players aren’t directly choosing which protagonist gets the short end of the stick, there’s still room for more subtle, morally driven outcomes to take shape. The wayRed Dead Redemption 2’s honor systeminfluences the tone of the game’s ending is a perfect example of this.
GTA 6 Betrayal Option D: Jason and Lucia Both Get Betrayed
The possibility of Jason and Lucia getting betrayed together cannot be discounted either. If anything, this is the safest out of all the treachery-related predictions concerning theGTA 6storyline.Grand Theft Autogamesconsistently tackle themes of cynicism, loyalty, crime, and power, making betrayal one of their most frequently utilized plot devices. I won’t be spoiling the rest of the series just to drive this point home, but anyone who has played any 21st-centuryGTAgame will know that they are full of backstabbers.
Whatever shape it takes, at least one huge betrayal feels inevitable inGTA 6. Whether Jason stabs Lucia in the back, Lucia sells him out, they both get double-crossed, or it’s some messy mix of those options, Rockstar’s track record suggests the story will be packed with deception and emotionally charged gut punches. After all,GTA 6is clearly leaning into a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde dynamic, suggesting it’s going to tell a story that was never meant to have a happy ending. One thing that remains to be seen is who will be left standing after the dust settles.
