GTA 6

The latest installment in Rockstar’s iconic game series, GTA 6, takes players back to the beloved Vice City—a sunny oceanfront metropolis where a full-blown action story unfolds in the style of the best mafia movies. At the center of the story are Lucia and Jason, a pair of criminals in serious trouble. And they can only get through it together. A variety of heists, daring robberies, car thefts, and piracy spice up the romantic relationship between the 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, able to look any danger in the eye.

Key features:

Work on the concept for GTA 6 began in 2013, pre-production started in 2015, after the PC version of GTA 5 was released, 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 lengthy development and the move to remote work led to leaks. In September 2022, a hacker leaked a lot of information about GTA 6, which was consistent with what insiders had said. The leak did not affect the studio’s plans or the pace of development; the portions of the game that were revealed were not changed or reworked.

The official announcement of GTA 6 took place in December 2023, as part of the 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, along with the game’s delay to 2026. At the same time, Rockstar published the second trailer, descriptions of the key 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 probably working on an optimized version of GTA 6 for enhanced ninth-generation consoles, such as PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X (Brooklyn) and Series S (Elwood) — a bundle featuring both consoles could launch in late 2025. Take-Two Interactive, following its usual practice of rereleasing 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 driven by a complex life simulation system, offering 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, whose real-world counterpart is Florida. The world of GTA 6 has a wealth of nature comparable to RDR 2, and a greater diversity of flora and fauna than GTA 5.

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

You can explore the world far and wide, and get around on foot, in more than a hundred cars and other wheeled vehicles, in your own helicopter, airplane 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, a wingsuit or a grappling hook. A network of roads and bridges will help you visit all the main areas of GTA 6, but some places can only be reached by air or water, adding considerable variety to exploration.

As of May 2025, the full map of GTA 6 remains a secret, and the trailers have not revealed the size of the world. It is believed that the game world of GTA 6 is shaped like an island and is significantly larger than GTA 5. The state consists of three counties: Vice-Dale, with its capital 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 inspired by Bogotá, Colombia, may appear as the setting for the prologue or story—like North Yankton in GTA 5.

GTA 6 is set primarily in modern-day Vice City and its surrounding areas, inspired by Miami. Since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City , the metropolis has been significantly reworked and expanded, filled with new content while preserving familiar places 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: it has business and banking districts, tourist hotels, shopping and entertainment complexes, villa neighborhoods with ocean access, a huge port, an international airport, residential areas, and a Haitian-Cuban ghetto. Its many buildings, from shacks and diners to stadiums and skyscrapers, offer a variety 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; Rockstar aimed to fill every square meter of the game world. The urban landscape is threaded through with diverse nature—grasses, shrubs, and trees—creating a lively, realistic world. Water takes many forms: private pools and entire bodies of water, developed shipping canals and ocean coastlines, as well as quiet inlets and wild lagoons. All districts are connected by roads and bridges, while the subway system provides quick transportation.

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 lively nights out at bars, restaurants, and 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, united not only by their work but also by their feelings for each other. Lucia sets the pace, while Jason has her back. At the beginning of the campaign, players will take on the role of Jason—going about his daily routine, adapting, and bringing packages to Lucia in prison. Once she is released, players will be able to switch between the characters.

Jason is a local man with a troubled past. He grew up in a criminal environment and tried to go straight—he served in the army and did his best to stay within the law. But the 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 resilience. He isn’t afraid of confrontation and is always ready to solve problems with force. It’s no surprise that he quickly draws attention in the game—the trailer emphasizes this with both women’s admiring looks and scenes featuring fights and chases.

Lucia is Jason’s opposite in terms of background, but not in spirit. Originally from Liberty City, she has long sought the better life her mother never got to build. Her strong character and self-defense skills are thanks to her father, who raised her to face difficulties head-on. Lucia has already served time in prison, where she ended up while trying to help her family, and was released early—whether 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 put into action. She is ambitious, determined, and much more level-headed than her partner. She is the mastermind and driving force behind their criminal duo.

Players can switch between the protagonists on the fly in free roam, but they’ll play through campaign missions for them. Nothing is known yet about the class system or character progression in GTA 6.

As of spring 2025, there are no details about GTA 6’s story. According to rumors, 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 game is set in the present day. Flashbacks are expected to feature in the story, but no reliable details about them are available yet.

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

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

One way the sixth game will break with established traditions is through jokes targeting “vulnerable social groups,” as well as dark humor and satire in cutscenes, dialogue, and individual lines. However, don’t assume that the story will cut corners 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 overhauled all the gameplay mechanics. Core gameplay will retain the defining features of previous games in the series while offering new possibilities, such as more substantial heists.

Players will be able to rob far more businesses and locations than before, creating unique situations unrelated to the main storyline. 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 belt, giving you away—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 corpses has been disabled.

For the first time in the series, stealth elements will be introduced, with disguises and concealing your face becoming critically important for evading pursuit. Nighttime heists will be more intense thanks to the pitch darkness, where even the slightest flash of light could give the protagonists away. A dynamic hair and beard growth system, along with the ability to customize your appearance, will add an element of disguise and individuality to the characters.

GTA 6 will still be packed with activities, including minigames (golf, tennis, go-karting, darts, photography, bowling, and more) and side missions (car races in the city or off-road monster truck races, heists, buying and selling property, and so on), as well as various street gangs and turf wars. In the latter case, players can expect unique in-game events thanks to the improved life simulation system.

The second GTA 6 trailer focuses on hand-to-hand combat—for example, when collecting a debt. It also explores Lucia’s backstory: she was taught by her father to stand up for herself. All this points to a greater focus on the combat system. Jason’s portrayal as a weightlifter hints at the return of gyms and a progression system like the one in San Andreas. Training will likely improve physical attributes, affect appearance, and influence how NPCs react to you. Activities for the female lead are also themed around parties and dancing, which could signal the return of rhythm games. Playing as Lucia, players will be able to take part in music-based minigames, forming new social connections and immersing themselves in the nightlife.

GTA 6’s in-game internet has been expanded with its own social network for viral videos, similar to IG Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. Now you can become a celebrity in the game by showing off your virtual life as a millionaire, a cringe-worthy lunatic, or a crime-chasing stringer, and rack up millions of followers. NPCs’ phones also have cameras, allowing them to post their own videos.

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