GTA 6 is Saying Goodbye to a Fan Favorite Character That's Been in the Series for 25 Years

It seems as though the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 will not feature Lazlow Jones, a character that has been featured in most GTA games since 2001’s Grand Theft Auto 3. Coming 13 years after GTA 5 first hit store shelves, Grand Theft Auto 6 has locked in a May 26, 2026 release date. GTA 6 is potentially the most-hyped new video game release of all time, even though Rockstar Games hasn’t revealed all that much about the project in the grand scheme of things.

Rockstar has released two GTA 6 trailers, some screenshots, and details about various characters that will be in the game, but has yet to confirm anything about its gameplay or online functionality. As far as the GTA 6 characters go, we know that Jason and Lucia are the two playable protagonists, and we also know about some of the key side characters they will be interacting with over the course of the story.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Might Not Have Lazlow Jones

Grand Theft Auto games tend to tell stories completely independent of one another, with some crossover here and there. The same is to be expected from GTA 6, and while it’s entirely possible characters from previous GTA games will pop up in the new release, that has yet to be confirmed. One character that many fans thought would be making a comeback is Lazlow Jones, as he has been a GTA mainstay since Grand Theft Auto 3 was released in 2001. However, it’s now looking like GTA 6 will be released without Lazlow. In a recent interview with Nerd Reactor, Lazlow said that he doubts he will be in GTA 6, as he left Rockstar in 2020 and is now working with Dan Houser at Absurd Ventures. This doesn’t mean he’s 100% not going to be in the game, but it’s clear that he hasn’t been asked yet at this point, or is otherwise keeping quiet due to the secrecy surrounding the game.

Lazlow wrote and performed for the hilarious Chatterbox radio station in Grand Theft Auto 3, and returned in more substantial roles for Vice City and San Andreas. Lazlow also appeared in the PSP games Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories, as well as Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5, the latter of which featured him as an on-screen character for the first time. If Lazlow is truly not going to be in GTA 6, it will be a disappointing end of an era for the franchise, but hopefully the game’s radio stations are still plenty entertaining.

There is some concern that the Grand Theft Auto 6 release date could get pushed back, but for now, fans can circle May 26, 2026 on their calendars. If the game truly launches on that day, it’s likely that marketing for it will kick up significantly in the months ahead.