Grand Theft Auto 6 is slated for release with a $80 price tag, and pre-orders are set to begin. Accompanying the pre-order information is the reveal of a more expensive special edition, the $100 Ultimate Edition, which includes a variety of cosmetic items and in-game bonuses for the main characters. Among these are two personalized revolvers, intended as a direct nod to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
The game's website indicates that these revolvers were "sourced" from the Vercetti Estate, the mansion prominently featured in GTA: Vice City. However, close examination of the marketing materials suggests a potential lore discrepancy regarding one of the revolvers.
A Tale of Two Revolvers
The scoped revolver pictured in the promotional image appears to be from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, where it was known as the Equalizer. This weapon replaced the standard .357 in that game. Crucially, Vice City Stories is set chronologically before the events of GTA: Vice City. This raises a question: if the scoped revolver originates from a game set earlier and is not seen in the original Vice City, how could it have been recovered from Tommy Vercetti's mansion in the later game's timeline?
Further complicating the issue is the established separation between the 3D and HD universe timelines in the Grand Theft Auto series. Despite this, Rockstar's heavy reliance on Vice City imagery and references for the GTA 6 pre-order bonuses seems to indicate a flexible approach to timeline continuity in this instance.
Supporting the idea that the developers are aware of the guns' origins, the serial number on the scoped revolver reads "311006," corresponding to the release date of Vice City Stories on October 31, 2006. The other revolver, based on one seen in Vice City, also bears a serial number referencing the original PlayStation 2 launch of that title. This suggests that while the marketing might present a simplified narrative, the game's internal details acknowledge the specific origins of these bonus items.