GTA 5 sleuth finally has an explanation for this 12-year-old Easter egg, and it turns out it has roots in a GTA 4 urban myth

Have you heard of the Ratman in GTA 5? Turns out, he's not entirely a figment of the imagination, but actually a nod to a similar urban myth from GTA 4.

GTA 5 contains many Easter eggs and mysteries, from the mural in Mount Chiliad to the UFO and even a ghost. YouTuber Gator Keys and certified Grand Theft Auto mythbuster has finally figured out why you can hear a creepy laugh if you go into the sewers in downtown Los Santos.

The Creepy Laughing Mystery FULLY Explained in GTA 5... - YouTube

Watch On

In a new video spotted by TheGamer, they share a clip with audio that is barely noticeable, so even if you went to this very specific spot, there's a good chance you wouldn't notice it. The laugh is found in the game's files, titled 'H=hobo laugh,' so it's 100% real and intentional. But, who is the Ratman?

Well, the Ratman legend is apparently an English folktale from Southend-on-Sea. Fun fact, that's the coastal town my stepdad is from, and I spent many a weekend and summer holiday there. Rumor has it, the ghost of a rat-like creature can be seen in one of the underpasses. The story goes some kids beat a homeless man to death and rats ate his corpse. Gruesome.

A GTA 4 player claimed they were attacked by a Ratman in the game. Other players claimed to have seen him in the Liberty City subway, but the only "evidence" of this is orange puddles down there that some say is his blood.

So, as a nod to this player-created myth, Rockstar added the audio into GTA 5 to make Ratman real. The developers also added Bigfoot, since so many San Andreas players had hunted for the creature in that game, too. What lovely touches.

While you're here, check out everything we know about GTA 6.

TOPICS

CATEGORIES

I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.