Original artwork, not a still
The death screen, Grand Theft Auto V (2013) and the series before it
Wasted.
— Grand Theft Auto V · 2013
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
One word does the job of a whole game-over screen, and it is both a joke and a verdict: slang for being killed, slang for being drunk, delivered with no sympathy. Players know it so well that it works as a meme caption on any disaster, in or out of games. It is the series' dark humour in a single word.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Grand Theft Auto VShow the scene
"Wasted" is the death message on screen when the player loses all health in a Grand Theft Auto game. In GTA V (2013) the word appears when the player dies, and the player then respawns, losing $500 to a healthcare and bail expense. The message goes back a long way: it appears in the first GTA (PC and Game Boy Color), in GTA 2, and in the 3D-era games, and a slang meaning of "killed" is why it was chosen. GTA IV is the one main game that never shows the word; the screen goes grey and slows down instead.
Sources (2)
- GTA Wiki: WastedIntro, Trivia and GalleryReference checked
- GTA Wiki: Wasted (HD Universe)Trivia, HD UniverseReference checked
Context reviewed