Tore Olsson’s unique history classes sift fact from fiction in popular gaming entertainment: from digital horseback to virtual automotive crime sprees.
Tore Olsson has a knack for time travel, theoretically speaking, and he takes students along for the ride via his unique approach to teaching history through the lens of popular video games.
In his latest time-hop, Olsson, the Lindsay Young Associate Professor in the Department of History, has followed up his wildly popular “Red Dead History” course—examining the American West circa 1870–1920 as presented in the Red Dead Redemption games—with a look at US history as seen on the gritty streets of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) game series.
“I want students to recognize that video games aren’t just mindless entertainment but are a place for developers and players to work through some of the grandest dilemmas of the day,” said Olsson. “I very much hope that after our semester is over, students won’t look at the GTA games the same again.”
At nearly 30 years old, and with some early titles in the series set a decade or two before their release date, the GTA franchise captures the historical period from 1980 to the present.
“At heart, the GTA games are crime simulators, but they’re also a satire of American society, trying to reflect the nation in their distorted funhouse mirror,” said Olsson. “What I do in my class is provide an overview of the core social, political, and economic issues that have defined the United States since 1980, hung on the hook of the games’ fictional world.”
Olsson acknowledges the games’ often cynical, crude sense of humor and representation of violence, which he steers clear of in pursuing the elements of history that it reflects.
“From day one, I take great pains to establish that this is a serious college class that will handle weighty and difficult topics, which we will always approach with sensitivity and respect,” he said. “In no way do I celebrate or endorse the games’ digital bloodshed. The core message of my course is profoundly anti-violent, revealing the common humanity and strivings of all Americans.”
Olsson’s latest class made a pop-culture splash in a high-profile interview with IGN, the world’s biggest game news website, in September 2025. Publicity circled back to UT students, who filled the course for spring 2026—plus another 240 students enrolled for fall 2026.
Olsson brought Shawn Fonteno, the main actor from GTA 5, to a spring class to answer student questions. Fonteno also recorded an interview with Olsson and Professor of History Robert Bland about the working-class African American experience in Los Angeles from the 1960s through 1990s.
Game Recognizes (Historical) Game
Students Scout Herber and Kory Littreal have taken both of Olsson’s game-based courses to gain perspective on the ways real history is depicted in these contemporary platforms.
“Both classes handled broad topics from their respective eras by examining the various characters and environments from the games that they focused on,” said Littreal. “Having this tangible throughline helps better contextualize the real-world history being discussed.”
The GTA course opened conversations on wide-ranging national and international topics, from immigration to the war on drugs to economic globalization. Students found that these classes left them with a strong understanding of how historical events affect all aspects of life. By examining what the games get right, half-right, or wrong, the course helps students hone critical thinking skills when taking in information from both academic sources and works of art and entertainment—skills that apply across multiple professional paths.
“We used primary sources to gain perspective on what these games were referencing, then we discussed what those references mean for American history,” said Herber. “Analysis and critical thinking are crucial skills to have not just for any history class, but the work force as well. These skills are easily applicable to my professional goals in the parks service, when analyzing environmental history and how different policies shape the world around us.”
Real-World History Lessons
Several history faculty members use pop culture to plant seeds of curiosity and passion for historical study. Other courses include the history of Western civilization through Disney World, Japanese samurai in pop culture, history through film, and more. These insights connect students’ lived experiences to real-world challenges in ways that encourage curiosity and transformative ideas.
Olsson hopes that the critical thinking skills developed in the GTA class help students reassess their assumptions about American politics, culture, and society.
“Many of my students begin the semester believing that our country has always been as divided and unequal as it is today, and that there’s no alternative to the current gridlock,” said Olsson. “Instead, I show them that in 1980, and for many decades before, America looked far different. The economy was more egalitarian, with the middle class holding most of the nation’s wealth. While Americans had their political disagreements, partisan passions burned comparatively low. But understanding today’s dilemmas requires understanding the history that created it—especially if we want to chart a path to a more unified and equitable future.”
by Randall Brown