'Grand Theft Auto V' plushies bring the cute to carjacking

Millions upon millions of gamers can attest to the fact that "Grand Theft Auto V" is a fun game. Charming even. Cute? Not so much. 

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It's hard to make a game that features one of the most grisly torture sequences ever seen in video games come across as adorable. But one DIY gamer managed to do just that with a series of plush dolls modeled after some of the main characters in Rockstar's 2013 hit game.

A UK-based artist who goes by the online handle AkaKiiroMidoriAoi recently posted a series of "GTA V"-inspired plushies on her account on deviantArt, a popular online network that hosts fan-made art and other types of DIY crafts. Rockstar games, which late last year had released its own "GTA V" plushy for Chop, a dog that serves as a companion for one of the man characters, quickly gave its stamp of approval by tweeting to toys out to its massive online fan base. And what's not to love? The giant-headed little guys are so cute they even make meth-addled psycho killer Trevor look like someone you'd want to cuddle up with. All that, and he still has his iconic "cut here" tattoo stitched across his neck.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

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DeviantArt isn't Etsy, so the "GTA V" plushies aren't as widely available as something like that amazing "Super Mario" cat complex. But AkaKiiroMidoriAoi says on her page that she accepts commissions for anyone who's really dying to get a more huggable version of his or her favorite homicidal maniac.

Yannick LeJacq is a contributing writer for NBC News who has also covered technology and games for Kill Screen, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. You can follow him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq and reach him by email at: Yannick.LeJacq@nbcuni.com.