The trailer is loaded with nods to past GTA games:

• Vice City Callbacks: Several elements scream “Vice City.” The very setting is a reboot of Vice City, and background touches reinforce it. PC Gamer spotted a shadowy figure wearing Lance Vance’s signature white and purple ensemble– a clever wink, since Lance died in the original game. Similarly, Times of India notes the blue/red bandanas likely reference Vice City’s Haitian and Cuban gangs. The pastel-pink and teal color palette and neon sign typography further mirror GTA: Vice City’s style.

• Legacy Easter eggs: Even smaller clues are present. For instance, a panhandler’s iguana shoulder-pet is reminiscent of animal Easter eggs in earlier games. In general, the trailer is full of sly references – like a billboard or ad that may nod to classic GTA jokes. (Fans also spotted posters and graffiti eerily similar to real Miami street art, though Rockstar treats these as in-world parodies.) Rockstar is known to hide secrets in plain sight, and the first trailer toys with that tradition, teasing returning gangs and favorite locales amidst the chaos.