Is GTA: San Andreas a Prequel to GTA III?

No. GTA: San Andreas (1992) is chronologically earlier than GTA III (2001), but it's not a prequel in narrative terms.

Timeline

• 1992: GTA: San Andreas (CJ's story in Los Santos/San Fierro/Las Venturas).
• 1998: GTA: Liberty City Stories (Toni Cipriani).
• 2001: GTA III (Claude's story in Liberty City).
• 2001 (later): GTA: Vice City (Tommy Vercetti).

Connections (Easter Eggs, Not Direct Plot)

• CJ appears briefly in GTA: Liberty City Stories (mission "The Made Man").
• Salvatore Leone appears in both SA and GTA III.
• Ken Rosenberg appears in SA and Vice City.
• Shared locations (Liberty City, Vice City) but different eras.

What "Prequel" Means

A prequel directly sets up the original story (e.g., Red Dead Redemption 2 → RDR1). San Andreas tells a self-contained story in the same universe—it doesn't lead into GTA III's plot.

Correct label: San Andreas is a standalone entry in the 3D Universe timeline, set 9 years before GTA III.