The complete GTA timeline: which Grand Theft Auto suits you?

Julia17 NOVEMBER 2025

Content

What is GTA?
All GTA games in chronological order
GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI)
GTA 5 (Grand Theft Auto V)
GTA 4 (Grand Theft Auto IV)
GTA 3 (Grand Theft Auto III)
GTA San Andreas
GTA Vice City
GTA 2 (Grand Theft Auto II)
GTA 1 (Grand Theft Auto I)
Frequently asked questions

Sunset over tangled motorways and distant towers, traffic flowing as a helicopter glides through the orange glow.

In this article, you’ll find an overview of all the main GTA games. Discover the characters, what the stories are about, and which platforms you can still play them on.

What is GTA?

Two sleek police sports cars race through the city, lights flashing as an armoured vehicle rumbles behind them.

GTA stands for Grand Theft Auto, a popular game series developed by Rockstar Games. In the game, you take on the role of a criminal who completes missions, steals cars and explores an open city full of action and freedom. Since the first release in 1997, GTA has achieved worldwide success. With each new instalment, the graphics became more realistic, the worlds larger and the stories more immersive. GTA V in particular broke records with millions of copies sold and a thriving online community. Thanks to its mix of excitement, humour and freedom, GTA is one of the best-selling games of all time. You can play the GTA games on platforms such as PlayStation, desktop, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

Look at these GTA facts

All GTA games in chronological order

Property name	Year	Platforms
Grand Theft Auto	1997	PS1, Game Boy Color, pc
Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, Grand Theft Auto: London 1969	1999	PS1, pc
Grand Theft Auto 2	1999	PS1, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, pc
Grand Theft Auto 3	2001	PS2, Xbox, pc, macOS, Android, iOS, Fire OS
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	2002	PS2, Xbox, pc, macOS, Android, iOS, Fire OS
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	2004	PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, pc, macOS, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Oculus Quest 2
Grand Theft Auto Advance	2004	Game Boy Advance
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories	2005	PSP, PS2, PS3, Android, iOS, Fire OS
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories	2006	PSP, PS2 PS3
Grand Theft Auto IV	2008	PS3, Xbox 360, pc
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned	2009	PS3, Xbox 360, pc
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars	2009	Nintendo DS, PSP, Android, iOS, Fire OS
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony	2009	PS3, Xbox 360, pc
Grand Theft Auto V	2013	PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X\|S, pc
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition	2021	PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X\|S, Nintendo Switch, pc
Grand Theft Auto VI	2026	PS5, Xbox Series X\|S

GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI)

Neon lit night street where a police car is surrounded by partying women in bold outfits and two uniformed officers.

GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI) is the latest game in the series and has yet to be released. The game is scheduled for 19 November 2026 and will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. GTA VI takes place in Miami (Vice City), with access to many surrounding areas. This time, you play as 2 main characters, Jason and Lucia, and just like in GTA V, you’ll likely switch between them. While GTA Vice City was set in the 1980s, GTA VI is expected to take place in the present day. The map is rumoured to be at least twice the size of GTA V’s, and the weather is said to be more realistic, featuring storms and dynamic conditions. We’ll have to wait and see which of these rumours turn out to be true. In the meantime, we’ll have to entertain ourselves with other (GTA) games.

[Source: Gamesradar]

Read all about GTA 6

GTA 5 (Grand Theft Auto V)

Evening traffic in a lively city as two sports cars cruise past palm trees and neon adverts beneath a pink sky.

GTA 5 (Grand Theft Auto V) was released in 2013 and is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. This game is one of the best-selling titles of all time. In GTA V, you play as 3 main characters: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips. You follow their storylines but also have access to a vast open world where you can do almost anything: pull off heists, steal helicopters, play golf or race a wide range of vehicles. You also have a broad arsenal of weapons at your disposal. With GTA Online, you and your friends can explore the world of Los Santos, complete missions and embark on your own criminal adventures.

Did you notice this in GTA 5?

GTA 4 (Grand Theft Auto IV)

Massive suspension bridge packed with traffic at sunset, city skyscrapers in the distance and detailed steel cables.

GTA 4 (Grand Theft Auto IV) was released in 2008 and is still available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. GTA IV is set in Liberty City, a city based on New York, but different from the one in GTA Liberty City Stories. You play as Niko Bellic, a Serbian war veteran who moves to Liberty City to start a new life. Before long, he becomes entangled in the criminal underworld through his cousin Roman. Through various missions, you help guide Niko on his journey.

GTA 3 (Grand Theft Auto III)

Man in a leather jacket strides confidently down a busy city street, cars and waving US flags lining the road.

GTA 3 (Grand Theft Auto III) was released in 2001 and is available on PlayStation 2, PC (Windows), mobile devices (Android, iOS and Fire OS) and Xbox. In GTA III, you play as Claude. The game delivers action from the very start: together with your girlfriend (Catalina), you rob a bank. During your escape, your girlfriend shoots you and you’re later arrested by the police. While being transported, the police convoy gets stuck on the bridge and a group of Colombian cartel members hold the officers at gunpoint, allowing you to escape. An explosion on the bridge then separates Portland from Liberty City. You continue on with 8 Ball, one of the other escaped prisoners. The main goal of the game is to find Catalina and take revenge. The game introduced a fully 3D open world in which players could freely explore and complete missions.

GTA San Andreas

GTA San Andreas was released in 2004 and is available on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC, and since 2021 has been re-released as part of the trilogy on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. GTA San Andreas is set in the 1990s in Los Santos, San Andreas, a city struggling with drug problems, corruption and criminal gangs. After five years away, Carl Johnson returns home. Carl’s mother has been killed, and his family has fallen apart. Carl is framed for murder by a few corrupt officers, forcing him to travel across the state with the goal of taking control of San Andreas and saving his family.

More about the GTA trilogy

GTA Vice City

Man in a blue Hawaiian shirt grips a silver revolver before a tall modern hotel and rows of swaying palm trees.

GTA Vice City was released in 2002 and is available on PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, and was re-released in 2021 as part of the trilogy on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Vice City is set in the 1980s in a city based on Miami. In this game, you play as Tommy Vercetti, trying to climb the ranks of the criminal underworld. The vibrant city also features beaches and palm trees.

GTA 2 (Grand Theft Auto II)

Top down retro city scene with a car, sandy road, grassy areas and a busy game HUD showing weapons, armour and scores.

GTA 2 (Grand Theft Auto II) was released in 1999 and is available on PC (Windows), PlayStation, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color. The game is now only limitedly available, mainly through third-party sellers or retro game shops. GTA 2 is played from a top-down perspective. In the game, 7 criminal gangs compete for control of the city. You try to take over their positions, but it’s not just the police you have to deal with – the FBI and the military are also a threat. Missions range from theft to eliminating rival gangs, and the city reacts dynamically to your actions.

GTA 1 (Grand Theft Auto I)

GTA 1 (Grand Theft Auto I) was released in 1997 and is available on MS-DOS, PC (Windows) and PlayStation. The game is now only limitedly available, mainly through third-party sellers or retro game shops. Like GTA 2, GTA 1 is played from a top-down perspective. You take on the role of a criminal completing various missions and tasks, such as robberies, thefts and escaping the police. The goal is to build your reputation in the underworld and climb higher up the criminal ladder. The game laid the foundation for the later, more expansive and realistic open-world games in the series.