Why GTA 3 and Vice City streets were covered in litter—by design

A former Rockstar North developer has explained why Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City featured so much litter on the streets. Obbe Vermeij, who worked on the games, revealed that the trash was added deliberately to make the cities feel less pristine. His system even carried over into another title years later. Vermeij introduced litter into GTA 3 to give the streets a grittier look. The game included four types of debris: two newspapers and two leaves, each created from simple textured rectangles. In Vice City, a fifth texture—a rubber chicken—appeared after players completed the mission Dildo Dodo.

The trash wasn’t just static. Wind could blow it around, and passing cars would kick it up or drag it along the ground. The interaction was triggered by the vehicles themselves, adding a small but dynamic detail to the world. Occasionally, a glitch caused debris to briefly clip through the pavement, as the game only checked ground height when the litter first landed. Despite the effort, not everyone at Rockstar North was a fan. Vermeij removed the system entirely for *GTA: San Andreas* after some developers expressed their dislike. However, the code didn’t go to waste—he later reused it in *Manhunt* (2003), with help from several *GTA* team members during its final stages.

Vermeij’s trash system added a layer of realism to GTA 3 and Vice City, even if it was short-lived. The feature responded to wind and vehicles, creating small but noticeable interactions. Its removal in San Andreas marked the end of the mechanic, though the code found new life in another game.