Grand Theft Auto 6 looms large as 2026 kicks off. Whether or not the game actually comes out this year remains to be seen, and I’m sure that particular discussion will overshadow much of the conversation around GTA 6 as the months go by. While there are indeed other AAA titles of note coming out this year, from the tantalizing and mysterious Switch 2-exclusive The Duskbloods to the sure-fire hit of Marvel’s Wolverine, it’s clear that Grand Theft Auto 6 is voraciously eating up all of the air in the space.
It’s inevitable that GTA 6 will be a huge hit regardless of what shape it lands in, and however Rockstar has decided to shift the franchise’s formula forward. At present, we’ve not seen gameplay, though we do know that it’ll be a Bonnie and Clyde-esque thriller set in the sun-soaked bustle of Vice City. As such, it’s time to dig into what we expect, and hope, GTA 6 to actually be like as a game, and to do that, it’s most helpful to look back at what has come before.
