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The road to GTA 6: all the mainline games ranked
From Liberty City to Los Santos, Rockstar redefined the open-world map with Grand Theft Auto. While we wait for GTA 6 to launch, these are the main games in the series to have some fun with.
Hardly any other game series has left such a lasting mark on the gaming world as Grand Theft Auto. Since 1997, Rockstar Games has been sending players into open cities full of chaos, dark humour and criminal careers. With GTA 6, the next big hit is already in the starting blocks. Ahead of the GTA 6 release on November 19, 2026, let’s take a look back at the main instalments of the series’ history.
01
Grand Theft Auto
- Release: November 28, 1997
- Platforms: PC, PS1, Game Boy Color
- Special feature: The origin of the entire series, born out of a clever coincidence in game design
Let’s start where it all began. The game that started it all. With clunky controls and a minimalist top-down perspective, the original Grand Theft Auto is, from today’s perspective, little more than a footnote in gaming history. And yet it was precisely this game that laid the foundations for one of the greatest franchises of all time. While the first GTA was still a long way from the quality of modern instalments, back in 1997 it already impressively demonstrated the direction the series would take. From a gameplay perspective, the game set new standards.
The ability to steal virtually any vehicle and race recklessly through the city was a minor revolution back in 1997. Without this initial experiment, neither Liberty City nor Los Santos would exist as we know them today.
02
Grand Theft Auto II
- Release: February 13, 1999
- Platforms: PC, PS1, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color
- Special feature: The series’ first reputation system and significantly improved camera technology
Grand Theft Auto II was a leap forward
© Rockstar Games
GTA 2 bridges the gap between the experimental debut and the giant leap the series took with GTA 3. The new gang reputation system gave missions real context for the first time, while technical improvements, such as save points and a more stable camera, noticeably enhanced the gameplay experience.
Nevertheless, GTA 2 remains firmly rooted in the top-down perspective and, from today’s perspective, feels clunky. It was, however, an important intermediate step in the series’ development, without which the later 3D instalments would have looked very different.
03
Grand Theft Auto III
- Release: October 23, 2001
- Platforms: PC, PS2, Xbox, macOS, iOS, Android
- Special feature: The title that redefined open-world gaming in 3D
GTA 3 took the gameplay into the third dimension
© Rockstar Games
There is no doubt that GTA 3 was set to change not only the open-world genre but also the gaming landscape forever. The fact that Grand Theft Auto III doesn't rank higher in our list clearly demonstrates the immense leap the series made after entering the third dimension.
GTA 3 was a seismic event in 2001. No other game offered such a vast, open and vibrant 3D city where players could simply do whatever they wanted. Liberty City thus laid the foundations for what defines open-world games to this day and continues to serve as a blueprint that many competitors still follow.
From today’s perspective, however, many of the mechanics seem a bit dated: clunky controls, rudimentary vehicle physics, and a silent protagonist named Claude. Nevertheless, its historical significance remains unassailable – without GTA 3, the entire open-world landscape would look very different today.
04
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Release: April 29, 2008
- Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
- Special feature: Rockstar’s darkest and most character-driven narrative, centred on Niko Bellic
The NPCs reacted more realistically in GTA 4
© Rockstar Games
On closer inspection,GTA 4 did a number of things better than its successor bearing the number five in its title. And yet, Grand Theft Auto IV still flies somewhat under the radar to this day, even though Rockstar struck a significantly darker tone with the fourth main instalment of the series than we’ve come to expect from GTA (or perhaps precisely because of that).
Less slapstick, less pop culture, more tragedy. For many fans, Niko Bellic remains one of the best-written open-world protagonists of all time. At least, if you leave out the heroes and heroines from Red Dead Redemption. His story of revenge, guilt and the American Dream underpins the entire game.
Technically, too, GTA 4 was a leap forward: the new Liberty City feels more tangible, and the driving feels heavier and more realistic. For those who prefer to experience GTA as a character-driven drama rather than a pure fantasy of power, this remains the strongest instalment in the series to this day.
05
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Release: October 26, 2004
- Platforms: PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
- Special feature: Three cities, an open-world map and CJ, who remains one of the series’ most popular protagonists to this day
CJ was the central protagonist in GTA San Andreas
© Rockstar Games
GTA: San Andreas is the moment when Rockstar simply said ‘yes’ to every idea. Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas, plus vast rural areas between the cities, create a game world that was enormous for its time and still feels vast today.
This is partly because the development team used a simple trick to make the world seem bigger than it actually is: if you remove the fog, you can see the entire map from the highest point. But nobody noticed that at the time. Add to that gang conflicts, property, the fitness and stats system, and countless side activities that constantly reinvent the game.
Carl 'CJ' Johnson is also one of the most iconic characters in the series. His return to Los Santos and his rise through the gang hierarchy remain a highlight of Rockstar’s storytelling. No wonder that, for many fans, San Andreas is still considered the most ambitious instalment in the series.
06
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Release date: October 29, 2002
- Platforms: PC, PS2, Xbox, iOS, Android, macOS
- Special feature: A neon-lit 1980s Miami setting with an iconic soundtrack and Tommy Vercetti as the face of the game
GTA Vice City: '80s charm at its best
© Rockstar Games
Whether GTA: Vice City ranks ahead of San Andreas in your personal list is certainly a matter of taste. For us, however, it certainly does, thanks to the game’s unique setting and the atmosphere it creates.
Tommy Vercetti, the Miami-inspired city and a radio soundtrack packed with '80s classics all blend together to create one of the most memorable atmospheres in the entire series. From Scarface to Miami Vice, you can tell from every mission and every scene where the inspiration came from. Vice City is a virtual trip back to the 1980s, which Rockstar Games captures perfectly – and perhaps that’s precisely why it’s so unique and iconic.
In terms of gameplay, Vice City brings noticeable improvements over GTA 3: a property system gives the story more depth, and the city feels livelier and more densely populated. Anyone who reduces the series to its sheer vibe will almost inevitably come away with Vice City as the winner.
07
Grand Theft Auto V
- Release: September 17, 2013
- Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Special feature: Three playable protagonists and the GTA Online world, which is still active today
GTA V saw you divide your time between three characters
© Rockstar Games
If there’s one instalment that stands head and shoulders above all the others in the series, both technically and in terms of its ambitions, it is undoubtedly Grand Theft Auto V. The game that cemented Rockstar Games’ legacy. The title that established the games industry as a medium to be taken seriously. And the game that lives on to this day (even 13 years after its initial release).
With a budget of over 250 million dollars and the trio of Michael, Franklin and Trevor, GTA 5 delivers the most complete package the series has seen to date. Los Santos and Blaine County offer enormous variety – the missions are staged with cinematic flair, yet there’s still plenty of sandbox freedom for your own moments of mayhem.
The fact that GTA 5 has remained relevant across three generations of consoles is largely down to GTA Online. The multiplayer spin-off has evolved from an additional mode into a world of its own that is constantly growing, ensuring that millions of players are still active more than a decade after its release.
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