Rockstar has never been afraid to insert mysteries into Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. That said, one of GTA’s most infamous was never in the game in the first place, and the developer now has a great chance to bring it to life.
Most people who played GTA IV when it was at its zenith will likely have heard of the Ratman. Starting in whispers on forums, players spoke of something living in the sewers of Liberty City.
Depending on which version of the story you heard, the Ratman was one of two things. For most, it was a literal half-man, half-rat that stalked and attacked players who ventured too close to its home. In other circles, it was simply an unfortunate homeless person with almost supernatural quickness, who ran through the sewers in an attempt to stay hidden.
Blurry screenshots began to emerge, purporting to show the illusive creature/man, but there was nothing concrete to go on. Despite that lack of evidence, the story continued to gather pace to the point where it became one of the most popular legends tied to the fourth game in the series.
Since then, players have scanned the game’s source code for any evidence that the Ratman is real. Unfortunately, nothing has turned up and the story is likely another example of the internet getting carried away.
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That said, it doesn’t have to be a myth forever. The upcoming release of GTA VI presents the perfect opportunity to make it a reality. Though the game is heading to Florida/Miami clone Leonida and Vice City, rather than Liberty City, there promises to be plenty of locations where the the Ratman could lurk.
Equally, Rockstar has the chance to put its spin on it. GTA V established aliens as canon as early as the prologue, so there’s little reason that the Ratman couldn’t be a lost visitor from another world.
There is also set to be a ton of swampland, perhaps offering a new locale for the strange being to reside.
Whatever it does, GTA 6 is set to be full of new secrets for players to uncover. If you’re looking for more information on the next game in the series, we’ve broken down everything we know so far.
