GTA 6 trailer release date hype has reached its alligator phase

At long last, the deafening silence from Rockstar Games about Grand Theft Auto 6 appears to be coming to an end. Earlier this week, the developer shared our first look at the game’s cover art and revealed that preorders will begin on June 25. One would assume that the prospect of preorders means a new trailer release is just around the corner too — and hopefully one that offers up some specifics about gameplay, rather than a purely vibes-driven experience.

As is tradition, this latest set of breadcrumbs from Rockstar has prompted an outpouring of speculation and theorycrafting. Fans are loving the toothy gator featured in the GTA 6 cover art, and they’re sharing that love all over social media.

Alligators are a common sight in the swampy regions of central and southern Florida, which is the inspiration for GTA 6‘s setting. They can weigh up to 500 pounds and measure up to 15 feet long from snoot to tail. They are definitely not vegetarians, though attacking humans is relatively rare. That said, Disney World has removed more than 400 gators from the resort after one killed a toddler back in 2016. You don’t have to think too hard to imagine all the potential hijinks that could result from mixing sleazy criminals with giant, deadly reptiles.

The gator’s prominent placement at the center of the collage has prompted some fans to start calling him “Auto.” Others have speculated the fearsome reptile might get his own mission in the game, like Chop the Rottweiler in GTA 5. Over the course of the game, Chop helps Franklin chase down a few baddies, and one X user speculates that we could see this toothy fellow take on a similar role in the sequel. “I’m convinced there’s at least one major mission involving an alligator in GTA VI, and possibly an entire side activity or encounter system built around Leonida’s wildlife,” they said.

One redditor predicted that a prominent character may have a gator as a pet. “Rockstar loves hiding these details in plain sight. Remember the GTA 5 cover art? They prominently featured Chop long before the game came out, and he ended up being a memorable companion. Now, the new GTA 6 artwork puts an alligator right in a similar spotlight. Rockstar is definitely teasing a unique dynamic here just like they did with Chop over a decade ago—just this time, it’s an NPC with a “tame” gator,” they wrote.

Another eagle-eyed redditor jokingly pointed out that Rockstar’s newest animal friend falls worryingly short in one department. While most gators have roughly 80 teeth, “Auto” from the GTA 6 cover art only has a paltry 60 chompers to chomp you with. That’s 25% fewer teeth than your typical alligator! Talk about shrinkflation! Given the studio’s reputation for meticulous attention to detail — we’ve all heard about the horse testicles — hopefully they’ll sort that out before launch.

From the previous two trailers of GTA 6, we’ve seen that Rockstar is fully embracing all the “Florida man” eccentricities of the state that inspired its setting. It’s totally possible we could see a character who uses his pet gator to dispose of inconvenient evidence — or people. At the very least, there’s got to be a fan boat sequence in the Everglades, where Jason and/or Lucia have to avoid some hungry reptiles. Fingers crossed we find out more about “Auto” on June 25 once preorders launch.