Every GTA Game in Order: Release Timeline Explained
With more than two decades of releases, it’s easy to lose track of exactly when each mainline GTA game came out. Here’s the full chronological order, from the series’ 3D-era debut through the upcoming GTA 6.
The Mainline Release Order
- Grand Theft Auto III — 2001
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — 2002 (see our full retrospective)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — 2004
- Grand Theft Auto IV — 2008 (see our guide to playing it on current-gen Xbox)
- Grand Theft Auto V — 2013 (see our GTA 6 vs GTA 5 comparison)
- Grand Theft Auto VI — November 19, 2026 (see our full release date guide)
Note on Earlier Games
This list covers the “3D era onward” mainline entries most commonly referenced today. The original top-down Grand Theft Auto (1997) and Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999) predate this list but are considered part of the series’ earlier history, alongside handheld/spin-off entries like the Chinatown Wars and Liberty City Stories titles, which fall outside the core numbered mainline.
The Gap Between GTA V and GTA 6
One thing that stands out immediately: the 13-year gap between GTA V (2013) and GTA VI (2026) is by far the longest wait between mainline entries in the series’ history — every previous gap was 5 years or less. This reflects both GTA Online’s massive, sustained success extending GTA V’s lifespan and the sheer scale of GTA 6’s development.
How This Timeline Connects to GTA 6
Understanding this history helps explain some of GTA 6’s confirmed choices — like the return to Vice City decades after the original, tying directly into nostalgia built up over that same timeline. See our ranking of every GTA game for how each entry is generally regarded by the community.
Quick Facts Recap
- First 3D-era mainline entry: GTA III (2001)
- Most recent mainline entry: GTA V (2013)
- Next mainline entry: GTA VI (November 19, 2026)
- Longest gap in series history: Between GTA V and GTA VI (13 years)