South Park shows Jason throwing dog poop in GTA 6

South Park aired around 17 seconds of GTA 6 in its latest episode, "Guinea Pig on a Stick", and in them Jason hits a beachgoer with a bag of dog poop on a Vice City beach. The episode premiered on Wednesday, 28 October in the US, and with three weeks to go until launch it's easily the most unexpected way to see GTA 6 in motion so far. Here's what you see, where the poop comes from and why South Park can't stop talking about the game.

What does South Park show of GTA 6?

A packed Vice City beach. In the episode, the boys visit the town's cattle ranch and end up getting a sneak peek of the game on a TV, as Deadline reports. The screen shows Jason, in a black tank top and a cap, strolling across the sand between umbrellas, sunbathers and a dog digging around on its own.

Then comes the star moment: an owner picks up after their dog, Jason grabs the bag and uses it as a weapon against a beachgoer. Meanwhile, one of the show's characters narrates it all with a completely straight face. "It's a dog taking a poop," he sums up. Cartman's verdict is clear, and too rude to print in full: "Dude, that game looks f***ing tits!"

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New gameplay from GTA 6 was shown in the latest ‘SOUTH PARK’ episode. https://t.co/gL2kRKUv2I

It's only 17 seconds, but there's plenty to spot: the beach is full of people with very different body types, the dog has its own animations and footprints stay in the sand. All with the South Park touch, of course: the footage plays inside a cartoon TV, so the quality is what it is.

Can you really throw dog poop in GTA 6?

Yes, and it's not something Trey Parker and Matt Stone made up. Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North, explained it in August to YouTuber TGG during his visit to the studio, as Kotaku and GameSpot reported. Here's how it works: if you see someone walking their dog and the dog does its business, you can wait for the owner to bag it, hit them so they drop it, pick it up yourself and throw it at whoever you like.

Back in August it was only a description, because Rockstar didn't show it in any video. South Park is the first place it's been seen in action, and in prime time. Hard to ask for a more fitting showcase.

On the same visit, Nelson said you can also pet the dogs. GTA 6 rewards and punishes how you treat others, much like Red Dead Redemption 2 did, so hurling poop at strangers doesn't look like the fastest route to sainthood. If you're into the animal side of the game, here's Leonida's wildlife, from alligators to iguanas.

Why does South Park talk about GTA 6 so much?

Because GTA 6 is one of the season's running jokes. The show, jokingly rebranded this year as South America, as The Guardian reported, has spent weeks framing the 19 November launch as the "big change" coming in November. According to Deadline, the gag has a double meaning: it's also a reminder of the US midterm elections on 3 November.

It's not the only show or brand riding the wave. Shrek already made its own trailer parody, and in Miami the fever ranges from Vice City brand ads all over the city to real Burger Shot burgers.

When did the episode air?

"Guinea Pig on a Stick" is the fourth episode of season 29 and aired on 28 October on Comedy Central in the US. When it reaches other countries depends on each local broadcaster or streaming service.

What is clear is when you'll get to throw the dog poop yourself: GTA 6 launches on 19 November on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. If you want to know exactly how long is left, here's the countdown.

Will there be more GTA 6 on South Park?

It's very likely the game will come up again: the season has two episodes left, on 11 and 25 November, and the second one arrives with GTA 6 already out. What nobody has said is whether there'll be more footage. With Rockstar showing so little before launch, every new second counts, even if it comes via Cartman.