GTA 6

Rockstar’s next installment in its iconic series, GTA 6, takes players back to their beloved Vice City—a sunny oceanfront metropolis where a real action-packed crime story unfolds, worthy of the best mafia movies. At the center of the story are Lucia and Jason, a pair of criminals who find themselves in serious trouble. And they can only get through it together. A variety of heists, daring robberies, car thefts, and piracy add excitement to the love story of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. GTA 6 is the first game in the series to feature a woman as the lead character. Lucia is the decisive gangster in this criminal duo, ready to face any danger.

Key features:

Work on the concept for GTA 6 began in 2013, pre-production started in 2015, after the release of the PC version of GTA 5, and full-scale development began with the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018. Until 2022, there was no information about the game apart from numerous rumors from various insiders.

The long development period and the shift to remote work led to leaks. In September 2022, a hacker leaked a lot of information about GTA 6 that closely matched what insiders had said. The leak did not affect the studio’s plans or development pace, and the parts of the game that were revealed were not changed or reworked.

GTA 6 was officially announced in December 2023 as part of its first trailer, which revealed a lot of information about the game — its world, story, gameplay and more. The game was expected to launch in fall 2025, but that didn’t happen.

The release date was first announced in May 2025, alongside the game’s delay to 2026. At the same time, Rockstar published the second trailer, descriptions of the main characters, lots of screenshots and artwork.

GTA 6 will be released on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The PC version can be expected a year to a year and a half after the console release, between late 2026 and mid-2027. Rockstar is likely working on an optimized version of GTA 6 for upgraded ninth-generation consoles, such as the PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X (Brooklyn) and Series S (Elwood) — a joint bundle may launch in late 2025. Take-Two Interactive, following its habit of re-releasing old hits, may release GTA 6 on the next generations of PlayStation and Xbox in 2030 or later.

GTA 6 is a third-person action-adventure game set in the vast open world of the state of Leonida and its capital, Vice City, with a cinematic story and complete freedom of action. The open world is governed by a complex life simulation system, providing unprecedented interactivity, while dynamic gameplay and a variety of missions make GTA 6 a true spectacle that fully immerses players in a world of criminal adventures.

The action still takes place in an alternate version of the United States, this time moving to the state of Leonida, modeled after Florida. The world of GTA 6 features natural richness comparable to RDR 2, and greater diversity of flora and fauna than GTA 5.

During their adventures, players will visit a wide variety of natural landscapes: azure beaches and blue lagoons, deciduous forests and picturesque meadows, vast swamps and mangrove thickets, barren outskirts and rocky highlands, caves, lakes, and hills — all teeming with wildlife. The world of GTA 6 also reflects Florida’s varied weather conditions: winds and hurricanes, thunder and lightning, with some areas sinking into mud.

You can explore the world far and wide, getting around on foot, in more than a hundred cars and other wheeled vehicles, or in your own helicopter, plane, or yacht. You can swim and dive underwater to explore the ocean floor, which is just as detailed as the rest of the game world. There are also unusual ways to get around — a jetpack, wingsuit, or grappling hook. A network of roads and bridges makes it possible to visit all of GTA 6’s main areas, but some locations can only be reached by air or water, adding considerable variety to the exploration.

As of May 2025, the full GTA 6 map remains a secret, and the trailers have not revealed the size of the world. It is thought that the GTA 6 game world is shaped like an island and is significantly larger than GTA 5. The state consists of three counties: Vice-Dale, with its capital of Vice City; Kelly, centered around the city of Port Gellhorn; and Leonard. Each part of Leonida has its own law enforcement agencies.

Confirmed key locations:

The events leading up to the beginning of GTA 6 are still unknown. A Latin American city modeled on Bogotá, Colombia, may appear as the setting for the prologue or story reveal—like North Yankton in GTA 5.

GTA 6 is primarily set in modern-day Vice City and its surrounding areas, modeled on Miami. Since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City , the metropolis has been significantly redesigned and expanded, filled with new content while retaining familiar landmarks from the past. At night, it transforms into a world of neon lights, concealing the dangers and secrets of the criminal underworld.

The city is enormous: business and financial districts, tourist hotels, shopping and entertainment complexes, neighborhoods with villas and waterfront access, a huge port, an international airport, residential areas, and a Haitian-Cuban ghetto. The many buildings, from shacks and diners to stadiums and skyscrapers, offer a diverse range of architectural styles. And all of it is connected by endless miles of roads, from narrow alleys with graffiti on the walls to wide highways.

Vice City has very few empty spaces, as Rockstar has sought to fill every square meter of the game world. The urban landscape is interwoven with diverse nature—grasses, shrubs, and trees—creating a vibrant and realistic world. Water takes many forms: from private pools and entire bodies of water, navigable canals and oceanfront stretches, to quiet backwaters and wild lagoons. All districts are connected by roads and bridges, while the metro system provides fast travel.

Vice City’s culture blends Latin American and American influences, focusing on the good life, fashion, and popularity. Residents embrace a free-spirited and eccentric lifestyle, reflected in their lively nights out at bars, restaurants, clubs, and parties that last until morning.

GTA 6 has two main characters: Lucia Caminos (a Latina woman) and Jason Duval (a local man). They form a criminal duo, bound not only by their shared business but also by their feelings for each other. Lucia sets the pace, while Jason has her back. At the start of the campaign, players will take on the role of Jason—going about his daily routine, settling in, and delivering packages to Lucia in prison. Once she’s released, players will be able to switch between the characters.

Jason is a local man with a troubled past. He grew up surrounded by crime and tried to do the right thing—he served in the military and tried to stay on the right side of the law. But his desire to live outside the rules won out. At the start of the game, he works for a drug dealer in the Keys, collecting debts and living in a house provided by a local crime boss in exchange for his services.

Jason is physically fit and spends a lot of time at the gym. He has an impressive build and a confident manner. His image combines menace, charisma, and toughness. He isn’t afraid of conflict and is always ready to solve problems with force. It’s no surprise that he quickly attracts attention in the game—the trailer highlights this with both women’s glances and scenes of fights and chases.

Lucia is Jason’s opposite in terms of background, but not in spirit. Originally from Liberty City, she has wanted a better life since she was young—a life her mother never got to build. Her strong character and self-defense skills are thanks to her father, who taught her not to back down from difficulties. Lucia has already been to prison, where she ended up while trying to help her family, and was released early—either through a stroke of luck or someone else’s intervention.

After her release, she came up with a clear plan for a life of crime, which she intends to carry out. She is ambitious, determined, and much cooler-headed than her partner. She is the strategist and driving force behind their criminal duo.

The player can switch between the protagonists on the fly in free roam, but will play through the campaign missions as them. Nothing is known yet about the class system or character progression in GTA 6.

As of spring 2025, there are no details about the story of GTA 6. Rumor has it that the main campaign will last 35–40 hours. Players will take part in heists, robberies, carjackings and raids, shootouts, and chases on land and water — all against the backdrop of the protagonists’ developing relationship. The story takes place in the present day. Flashbacks are expected to feature in the narrative, but no reliable details are available yet.

Information about the main antagonist is being kept completely under wraps, but there’s a whole cast of charismatic characters around them, each with their own stories and goals. These include:

Since GTA 6 takes place in the same universe as the previous games, there will be plenty of mentions and references to familiar faces from GTA 5 and Vice City.

One way the sixth game will break with established conventions is through jokes about “vulnerable social groups,” dark humor, and satire in cutscenes, dialogue, and individual lines. However, don’t assume that the story will be watered down and lose its impact — the writers have plenty of room to criticize bad people.

By spring 2025, it had become clear that Rockstar had deepened and reworked all the gameplay mechanics. Core gameplay will retain the key features of previous games in the series while offering new possibilities, such as more significant heists.

Players will be able to rob far more businesses and locations than before, creating unique situations unrelated to the main story. Gunplay has been improved, and the mechanics expanded with the ability to switch your dominant hand. Weapons must now be carried on your shoulder or waist, revealing your identity—you can no longer stash everything in an endless inventory. The inventory is limited to 8 slots, with the option to expand it using a bag. Automatic pickup of weapons and money from bodies has been disabled.

For the first time in the series, stealth elements will appear, with disguises and concealing your face becoming essential for evading pursuit. Nighttime heists will add excitement thanks to the pitch darkness, where even the slightest flash of light can give the heroes away. A dynamic hair and beard growth system, along with the ability to customize characters’ appearance, will add an element of disguise and make the characters more distinctive.

GTA 6 will still offer plenty of activities, including mini-games (golf, tennis, go-karting, darts, wildlife photography, bowling, and more) and side missions (street races or off-road monster truck races, heists, buying and selling property, and so on). It will also feature various street gangs and conflicts between them. In the latter case, players can expect unique in-game events thanks to the improved life simulation system.

The second GTA 6 trailer puts the focus on hand-to-hand combat—for example, when collecting a debt. It also highlights Lucia’s backstory and how her father taught her to stand up for herself. All of this points to a greater emphasis on the combat system. Jason’s image as a weightlifter hints at the return of gyms and a progression system like the one in San Andreas. Workouts will likely improve physical attributes, affect appearance, and influence NPCs’ attitudes. The activities for the female protagonist are also on theme—parties and dancing—which may mean the return of rhythm games. Playing as Lucia, players will be able to take part in music-based mini-games, building new social connections and bringing the nightlife to life.

GTA 6’s in-game internet has been expanded with its own viral-video social network, similar to IG Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. Now you can become a celebrity in the game, too, by showing off your virtual life as a millionaire, a cringe-worthy maniac, or a stringer chasing down crimes, and amassing millions of followers. NPC phones are also equipped with cameras, allowing them to post their own videos.

The success of GTA Online leaves little doubt that some kind of online mode is being developed for GTA 6. We’re waiting for the announcement!