GTA 6 — Everything We Know: Release Date, Pre-Orders, Cover Art, Map, Characters, and Gameplay

However, Rockstar still did not show a full new trailer, even though many expected it to arrive together with the pre-order details. Even so, the cover art itself instantly spread across the internet and sparked heated discussion.

GTA 6 is set in the state of Leonida — a fictional version of modern-day Florida. The center of the world is once again Vice City, a reimagined modern Miami, which the series has not returned to since 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In addition to the metropolis, Rockstar has officially named five more regions: Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, Mount Kalaga National Park, Grassrivers, and the Leonida Keys — a chain of small islands inspired by the real Florida Keys. The world includes swamps, coastlines, protected natural areas, and a lot of water.

Rockstar has not revealed the exact size of the map, but estimates suggest it is roughly 1.5–2 times larger than GTA 5's map. According to leaks, the game will feature more than 700 interiors that players can enter — from clubs and shopping malls to pawn shops.

At the center of the story is a criminal duo in the spirit of Bonnie and Clyde. Jason Duval is a former soldier who grew up around criminals. After the army, he settled in the Florida Keys and worked for local drug runners. He is the first protagonist in the main series with a military background. Lucia Caminos grew up in Liberty City, has known how to fight since childhood, after being taught by her father, and leaves a Leonida prison at the beginning of the game. Lucia is the first female protagonist in the story campaign of a numbered GTA, which alone makes her one of the most significant heroines in the history of the series.

In the story, an “easy job” goes wrong, and the pair are pulled into a criminal conspiracy stretching across the entire state. Now they have to rely on each other more than ever. Unlike GTA 5, which had three protagonists, this game has only two playable characters: Rockstar is focusing on a more intimate story built around their relationship.

Surrounding the duo is a full ensemble of supporting characters: Cal Hampton, Jason's homebody friend who enjoys listening in on Coast Guard communications; Boobie Ike, a local Vice City legend and owner of a strip club, real estate, and a recording studio; Dre'Quan Priest and his music project Real Dimez, which Ike is betting on; as well as bank robber Raul Bautista, Brian Heder, and others.

More details about the setup and characters can be found in our large feature covering all official information, leaks, and theories.

Rockstar has not officially revealed the cast. According to the most persistent rumors, Jason is voiced by Dylan Rourke, while Lucia is played by Manni L. Perez: fans point to physical resemblance, social media connections, and indirect clues. Other names have also been mentioned, but all of this remains speculation, not confirmed information. The studio itself has not confirmed anything yet.

The main thing Rockstar is showing off is the visuals: the trailers demonstrate advanced lighting, including ray-traced global illumination, detailed interiors, realistic water, and weather. Graphically, GTA 6 already looks better than Red Dead Redemption 2. Among the officially shown elements are switching between Jason and Lucia, dynamic weather that can escalate into storms, detailed hair and clothing physics, growing stubble, a living world with wildlife such as alligators, flamingos, and other animals, and a social media theme running through everything — pedestrians film events on livestreams, while viral fame becomes part of the story.

As pre-orders went live, Rockstar shared new details about the game and released dozens of screenshots revealing several full-fledged customization systems and activities in the single-player campaign. Some of the specific businesses players can visit will be exclusive to the Ultimate Edition. However, this does not mean that similar mechanics will be entirely absent from the standard edition.

Rideout Customs allows players to modify not only the bodywork and wheels, but also the detailed interior, premium rims, and donk-style designs featuring oversized wheels and a raised body. This is the first official indication that vehicle interiors will be a separate part of the customization system rather than simply a fixed element of each model.

Another garage, One-Eyed Willie's, specializes in off-road modifications and custom hand-painted designs. This suggests that different garages may have their own specialties, much like gunsmiths and stables in Red Dead Redemption 2.

GTA 6 will allow players to customize:

Previous trailers suggested that players would be able to change hairstyles and that Jason's stubble could grow over time, but makeup and nail customization have now been officially confirmed.

Electric Fang Tattoo will offer more than 50 signature tattoos for Jason and Lucia, created by the art collective FAILE. Rockstar's wording points to an extensive selection for both protagonists rather than just a handful of preset looks.

Stock 305 sells exclusive streetwear for both characters. Rockstar also revealed the Goodtime Gear collection, inspired by the Macca the Gator mascot.

This confirms the return of traditional clothing stores where players can try on items and choose individual outfits. Judging by the descriptions, each shop will have its own selection rather than drawing from a single shared menu.

Jason's safehouse is tied to his personal vehicles, with a Dinka Enduro motorcycle and a Crest kayak stored nearby.

Paradise Garage, which comes bundled with the Vapid Dominator Buggy, includes an armory and storage space for stolen goods. A similar feature is mentioned for the Shore Court Garage included in the Vintage Vice City Pack. This confirms at least the following:

This aligns with leaks suggesting a more restricted inventory system and the ability to store equipment in vehicles.

The garage descriptions explicitly mention areas for storing or fencing stolen goods. PTT YOUNGIN$ is also described as an illegal gang-run outlet whose compound can be raided.

This is one of the most important new details: based on the official descriptions, GTA 6 will feature a separate economy for stolen goods, along with activities involving raids on warehouses containing illegal merchandise. It may be an expanded version of the fence system from Red Dead Redemption 2.

The PTT YOUNGIN$ Compound is described as a gang-run illegal goods outlet in southern Vice City. Players will be able to raid it in search of loot.

This confirms the presence of optional criminal activities outside the main story missions — likely something between raiding hideouts, clearing camps, and searching for valuable cargo. It remains unclear whether these locations will reset or whether players will be able to raid them repeatedly.

The Shitzu Squalo is described as having a gun locker on board. This means that weapon inventories or reserves may be tied not only to cars and safehouses, but also to watercraft.

This indirectly suggests that boats and maritime travel will play a more significant role in Leonida's open world.

Both protagonists have their own versions of specific pistols: Jason's Girardi ES9 and Lucia's Klose K17. It is too early to say whether their stats will differ, as the official description primarily mentions personalized engravings.

However, assigning different weapons to each protagonist may point to separate personal arsenals or character-specific equipment.

Rockstar has specifically clarified that Ultimate Edition content will not be handed to players as a single bundle at the beginning of the game. Items, vehicles, and other features will unlock across different chapters of Jason and Lucia's story.

This confirms that the campaign will be formally divided into chapters, giving it a structure closer to Red Dead Redemption 2 than GTA 5.

Many of the mechanics are still based on the 2022 and 2025 leaks, as well as code analysis, so they should be treated with caution. The community describes an updated car theft system, where premium vehicles have immobilizers, older cars can be opened with a lockpick, and an attempt can fail; a reworked police system with a timer before patrols arrive and attempts at negotiation during robberies; expanded drive-by shootouts, including while swimming; stealth with crouching; tying NPCs with zip ties; and using hostages as human shields. Each protagonist reportedly has their own time-slowing ability in the spirit of Dead Eye from RDR2. Modes called “Solo Jason,” “Solo Lucia,” and joint control of both characters during robberies have been mentioned, along with the NPC interaction system “Greet / Threaten / Rob,” carried over from RDR2. According to various reports, there are more than 200 vehicles — cars, motorcycles, boats, helicopters, and planes with detailed interiors. There also appears to be no shortage of side activities: pool, boxing, basketball, tennis, a gym, fishing, races, and much more. You can find our detailed breakdown of the second trailer on the site.

According to the wording of Rockstar's latest press release, the version launching on November 19 is specifically the single-player experience. The PlayStation Store page also lists one player and offline play, suggesting that a new online mode will not be available alongside the campaign at launch.

Rockstar has not announced when the multiplayer component will arrive. A later release would follow the studio's previous approach: GTA Online launched two weeks after GTA 5, while Red Dead Online arrived several months after Red Dead Redemption 2.

It is also worth recalling one of the biggest leaks in industry history. In September 2022, a hacker — the same one who had previously breached Uber — posted more than 90 videos from an early version of GTA 6 online. These hours of gameplay were how fans first saw many of the game's mechanics. He was later convicted.

GTA 6 is being called the most expensive game in history — according to various reports, development alone cost more than $1 billion. The stakes are just as high: Take-Two is projecting around $8 billion in revenue for the fiscal year, and almost all of that forecast rests on the November release. Analysts expect the game to sell around 20 million copies in its first day and pass the $1 billion mark within just a few days, which would make GTA 6 the fastest-selling entertainment product in history. For comparison, GTA 5 has sold almost 230 million copies to date, while Red Dead Redemption 2 is at around 85 million, the third-best result of all time. We have separately covered how much the most expensive games cost to make.

The latest major delay coincided with a high-profile scandal: in late 2025, Rockstar laid off several dozen employees, which led to protests outside its offices. Workers link the layoffs to an attempt to form a union, while Take-Two insists the reason was a leak of confidential information. We have covered what happened in detail.

Not at launch. On November 19, GTA 6 will be released only on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and Rockstar has not yet announced a date for the PC version. Judging by how the studio handled GTA 5, the PC port should not be expected before 2027, and possibly not until 2028.

What do you think of GTA 6's official prices and edition bonuses? Is the Ultimate Edition worth the extra $20, or is the standard version enough?

On November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

At launch, only PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The PC version is expected later, roughly in 2027. A future port for Nintendo Switch 2 and next-generation consoles such as PS6 also cannot be ruled out.

Pre-orders began opening on June 25, 2026, at midnight local time through PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Rockstar Games Store, and select retailers.

The standard edition costs $79.99, while the Ultimate Edition costs $99.99.

All pre-orders include the Vintage Vice City Pack. Digital pre-orders also come with one free month of GTA+.

In the fictional state of Leonida, an analogue of Florida, centered on Vice City — a modern version of Miami.

A criminal couple: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. Lucia is the first female protagonist in the story campaign of a numbered GTA game.

The version launching on November 19 is described as the single-player experience. A new online mode is likely to arrive later, but Rockstar has not announced its release date.

At launch, GTA 6 will be available only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A PC version has not been officially announced.

Not at release. Rockstar has not announced a date for the PC version; by analogy with GTA 5, it is not expected before 2027.