GTAV features three protagonists

Grand Theft Auto V will feature not one, but three main protagonists. That's according to the December issue of the GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine, which includes an 18-page spread with information about Rockstar Games' much-hyped open-world action game.

The character on the far left appeared in previous GTAV marketing material. And the man on the far right appears to be reaching for a gas mask. It is possible he is the same character shown in the game's first official artwork, titled "Pest Control."

GTAV sporting multiple protagonists was first rumored in October 2011 alongside a suggestion that the game would be set in a fictional Los Angeles, California. Rockstar has confirmed the latter speculation as well, revealing that GTAV will be set in a mock Southern California city called Los Santos.

GTAV will be the first title in the series to tell its primary story through multiple characters. However, it is not an entirely novel idea for the franchise. Grand Theft Auto IV focused its narrative on the story of Niko Bellic, but ensuing downloadable expansions depicted Liberty City from the viewpoints of two additional characters.

Rockstar Games last week confirmed that GTAV will ship for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 during spring 2013. Preorders for the game opened this week at select retailers in the United States and Europe. The game's second trailer will arrive November 14.

For more on GTAV, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.