John Cena shocked fans with his heel turn at WWE Elimination Chamber, marking his first time playing the villain in over 20 years. Adding to the surprise, Cena cleverly joined the ongoing meme about the long-awaited release of *Grand Theft Auto 6* (GTA 6). For those not in the loop, the 12-year wait for Rockstar Games to launch GTA 6 has fueled a popular meme where people humorously point out things they've experienced before the game's release. In this instance, it was Cena's unexpected shift from a beloved hero to a WWE 'bad guy'—a move many thought would never happen.
For the first time in over 20 years, John Cena is a WWE bad guy. Photo by Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images.
Cena, fully aware of the meme, took to Instagram to share an image of GTA 6 and its 2025 release window with his 21 million followers. This move was clearly for fun and not a hint at any involvement in the game, though some fans speculated it could be a cryptic message about GTA 6. Given the dedication of GTA fans to deciphering any potential clues about the game's release date or trailers, such speculation is hardly surprising.
Indeed, John Cena's era as a WWE villain began before the release of GTA 6, but fans won't have to wait much longer, as Take-Two Interactive has confirmed a fall 2025 launch window for the game. In other news, a former Rockstar developer in December 2023 tried to clarify why GTA 6 will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S before coming to PC, urging PC gamers to trust the studio's strategy despite the controversy.
For more insights on GTA 6, including comments from Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick on the future of GTA Online post-GTA 6 launch, stay tuned.
