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University of Tennessee will launch a new history course, “Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 Through GTA Video Games,” on January 20, 2026. The course will be taught by history professor Tore Olsson and will examine topics such as consumerism, political corruption, the “American Dream,” and urban decline through the Grand Theft Auto series.
Olsson told IGN that video games are excellent at creating fictional worlds but also influence players’ understanding of real-world time and space. “In my course, I seriously examine GTA’s fictional representation of the United States, its characters, urban and rural landscapes, and narratives,” he said.
The course uses GTA as a framework to study what has actually happened in the U.S. over the past fifty years. While the course focuses on American history rather than the games themselves, GTA provides a structured lens for exploring the past. Olsson hopes that after taking the course, students will never view these games—or modern America—the same way again.
Previously, Olsson taught a course analyzing American history through Red Dead Redemption, which allowed students to study the 19th century, frontier policies, and relations with Native Americans through the game. “Grand Theft America” applies the same method to modern U.S. history, using the game as a structured lens to discuss social, political, and economic change.
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