With just under two weeks to go before Grand Theft Auto VI‘s launch, it’s beginning to sink in that the game is actually almost here, this time. It’s been cooking for eight years, since Rockstar shipped Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018—long enough to spawn the “we got x before GTA VI” meme—but after at least two delays, the long-awaited days is less than a fortnight away. Pinch yourself if you need to.
A long history of controversy aside, Grand Theft Auto has had an indelible impact on video games, setting standards for mechanics and presentation that have become industry standards. As the latest inheritor of this title, Grand Theft Auto VI has a big responsibility on its shoulders. With that in mind, here’s what we’re looking forward to in 2026’s final Game of the Year contender (with a couple minor caveats).
The First New GTA In 13 Years
Grand Theft Auto VI is the first entry in the series since 2013. Thirteen years is a big enough number on its own, but don’t forget: its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, originally launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, just two months before the PS4 and Xbox One arrived. It were ported to the next generation in 2014, but in essence, GTA effectively skipped the last hardware generation entirely in terms of new games and is arriving about halfway through the current generation. (Sorry, the supposedly “definitive” edition of the PS2 trilogy doesn’t count.)
A whole lot has changed since 2013, from the way games are made, to the way players engage with them. Streaming was only just beginning to take off; Twitch Plays Pokémon hadn’t even happened when GTAV came out, and now streaming is practically overtaking the network television establishment. Open world games, a genre Rockstar helped shape, became the norm and then oversaturated, and both microtransactions and live service games now run rampant. We’ve had three full generations of Pokémon, and the fourth is almost here.
As the latest in a franchise that has held such a prominent role in video game history, Grand Theft Auto VI will make a statement and shake the foundations of the medium, one way or another. What kind of statement will it be?
Although…
Another thing that has changed a lot since 2013 is the literal way players buy games—most notably, whether they buy them physically or digitally. Rockstar broke the hearts of legions of fans when they announced that Grand Theft Auto VI would be releasing solely in digital format, and that the “physical version” was strictly code-in-box. The news was almost immediately followed by Sony’s announcement that they will cease production of discs in January 2028.
Copies of previous GTA games used to be special, usually packaged with fold-out poster maps to help navigate; in a world where physical games are dwindling, Rockstar’s titles like Grand Theft Auto V or Red Dead Redemption 2 are still in demand at retail, new or used. This time around, the new GTA be an empty case, and the map will not be a thrown-in bonus, but a separate download/purchase, sold for $1 (or as a “free” gift with purchase) from the Rockstar Store.
It’s disheartening to see one of the biggest games of the year, the decade, and the generation take this route. It’s especially so in the wake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s monumental launch at retail—for many, bringing back the fun and community of midnight launches. Not that Grand Theft Auto will be hurting for sales overall, but there are definitely many fans who have changed their plans because of this decision.
Return To Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City still stands as the peak of the series for me, personally—for how it built upon the previous game; for its story and protagonist, Tommy Vercetti; and for how it leaned into its setting, the neon streets of 1980s Vice City, inspired by real-world Miami. The series has returned to the other locales from the PS2 era, San Andreas and Liberty City, in subsequent games to expand and revitalize them on new hardware, and Grand Theft Auto VI will now do the same for Vice City.
Of course, the game will be not limited to just Vice City, but will sprawl across the larger state of Leonida, incorporating the familiar city into a much broader whole. The real world reputation of Florida is rife for Rockstar’s brand of humour and parody, and its natural landscape will be an interesting counterpart to San Andreas, where fans have been driving around for the past 13 years. But the most exciting part for many players who were there for the PS2 years may just be returning to the streets of Vice City and seeing how it has changed—both with modern hardware, and with 40 years in-universe since the reign of Tommy Vercetti.
The Rhythm of the City
Game mechanics and graphics may age and turn over time, but a great soundtrack can transcend the bonds of time. Amongst the annals of games with licensed soundtracks, the GTA games are classic stand-outs, with well-curated playlists that have huge appeal beyond the games themselves—making this another area where Grand Theft Auto VI has a lot of responsibility on its shoulders.
The soundscape has already been the subject of much discussion and hype, independent from the game itself. Both the original score and a cross-section of the licensed tracks found on the in-game radio are already available for preorder on digital, CD, and vinyl. Players will have at least six stations at their disposal, each tuned to a specific genre, plus a wealth of podcasts to fill the role of talk radio.
(The absence of long-time host “Laslo” will be an adjustment, but hopefully the writers will keep the humour alive with more talk radio bits and skits. As good as the music in previous games was, the talk radio station was often my favourite station, and since podcasts have definitely changed a lot since 2013, I’m particularly curious how the game will embrace and parody this medium.)
Fresh Perspective
After Grand Theft Auto III cast players as a fairly generic blank slate of a criminal protagonist, Rockstar sought to bring more weight to this position. Vice City changed the mold with Tommy, explored new perspectives with San Andreas‘ CJ and GTA IV‘s Niko, then expanded to three protagonists in GTA V. Grand Theft Auto VI‘s contribution in this field will be continuing the multiple protagonist approach, but this time, adding a female main character for the first time.
The series has a reputation for being about chaos, mayhem, and senseless crime; considering how many people choose to use the tools of the sandbox Rockstar presents, that’s certainly a justified reputation. But beyond the toilet humour and Scarface idolatry, there has also been a mirror held up to society to some degree, parodying the real world yet also asking us to rethink what we see reflected back at us—from CJ’s background with gangs, to Niko’s situation as an immigrant, to Trevor’s mental illness.
How Grand Theft Auto VI handles the tale of Lucia and Jason, its protagonists, will be core to determining its legacy. Putting a couple into the over-the-top antics of a GTA game is, in itself, a unique experiment, and swapping around Leonidas between the two of them sounds like a great use of the new hardware. But how the writers portray Lucia as a Latina and the series’ first main female playable character will be the true thematic make-or-break for the whole creative venture. Fans have waited a long time for the game, so Rockstar had better be swinging for the fences in this department, just as they have for the last 25 years.
