GTA 6 Preview: Everything You Need to Know About the New Grand Theft Auto

It’s been over a decade since Grand Theft Auto 5 was released—but what will the sequel bring?

The massively popular open-world action franchise has sold over 430 million copies as of August 2024, putting it in the pantheon of the all-time best-selling game series. And that success has ignited widespread excitement over the next entry.

Now Grand Theft Auto 6 has been officially revealed, and there’s plenty we already know from the first trailer and announcement, along with subsequent reveals. Here’s what you need to know about GTA 6.

The Most Anticipated Games of 2025

Look, 2024 was a pretty great year for games, delivering gems like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Astro Bot, Balatro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Off the Grid, and more. But we’re an optimistic bunch, and we think 2025 could be even better. That’s the vibe we’re getting from the early batch of games expected to launch this year, spanning sequels and original titles alike, ranging from Grand Theft Auto 6 to (potentially) Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and plenty more in between. Wait, let's linger on t...

What is Grand Theft Auto 6?

Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) is the official title for the sixth planned core installment of the Grand Theft Auto video game series. 

“Grand Theft Auto VI continues our efforts to push the limits of what’s possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences,” said Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser in a statement published December 4, 2023 alongside the first official trailer for GTA 6. “We’re thrilled to be able to share this new vision with players everywhere.”

The upcoming game’s predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, offered players both single-player and multiplayer game modes, where gamers could do things like embark on cooperative heist missions, assassinate individuals, invest in its synthetic stock market, buy businesses, rob citizens, drive cars, and more.

When is GTA 6 coming out?

Rockstar Games finally confirmed GTA 6’s development back in February 2022, and announced in December 2023 that the game won’t be released until 2025.

In an August 2023 interview with CNBC, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said that the studio expects “record levels of operating performance” in its fiscal 2025, which is between April 2024 and March 2025. That led some to believe GTA 6 would launch in the early months of next year.

However, in May 2024, Zelnick announced that the Grand Theft Auto 6 release window has been narrowed down to Fall 2025. And in February 2025, Zelnick confirmed to Variety that GTA 6 is still on target to release then, with a firmer release date to come when Rockstar is ready to share.

“We’ve announced a pretty narrow window. So I think our view is that right now, that’s fine,” Zelnick said. “And then when it’s appropriate, of course, Rockstar is going to have more to say

Which platforms will GTA 6 launch on?

It will launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S—but no PC version has been confirmed.

Previous GTA entries have typically hit PC much later than consoles. Take-Two boss Zelnick reiterated much the same in February 2025 when asked by IGN about a potential PC version.

“So with [Civilization] 7, it's available on console and PC and Switch right away,” Zelnick said. “With regard to others in our lineup, we don't always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms.”

Nintendo Switch 2 Preview: Everything You Need to Know

The Switch is Nintendo’s best-selling home console of all time, and widely beloved for its rich library of games—a dramatic turn from the middling Wii U before it. But it’s been eight years since the Switch launched, and fans are getting antsy for Nintendo’s next big thing. Luckily, it's coming. Following years of leaks and rumors, and even a couple official acknowledgments that the next-gen model was coming, Nintendo formally revealed the Switch 2 console in January 2025. From what we know off...

What about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2? Zelnick said in a February 2025 earnings call (via Eurogamer) that Take-Two broadly plans to support the console, but didn't make any specific game announcements.

"There was a time when Nintendo platforms are really geared at younger audiences and that was reflected in our release schedule. And now today with Switch and potentially with Switch 2, the Switch device can support any audience," he said. "As you may have noted, Civilization 7 is now on Switch. So while we have nothing specific to report, we actually would fully expect to support Switch [2]."

What was leaked about GTA 6?

In September 2022, a GTAForums user named “teapottuberhacker” posted approximately 90 pieces of leaked content from Grand Theft Auto 6 to the forum. While the content has since been removed due to a copyright infringement claim, it contained numerous leaks for the upcoming game that may have been swiped from bug reports from quality assurance (QA) testers, PC Gamer reported. 

The teenager behind the hack, 18-year-old Arion Kurtaj of the cybercriminal group Lasus$, was convicted in the UK in August 2023 for hacking into Rockstar Games and leaking the sensitive information. 

Last year, PC Gamer reported that in one of the leaked videos, a playable Latina character named Lucia as well as a white man named Jason, robbed a waffle restaurant and took hostages. The official GTA 6 trailer released in December 2023 confirmed that Lucia’s character is indeed the game’s protagonist, and that she does commit crimes and have some kind of romantic relationship with a white man (whose name has not yet been officially confirmed).

There was also the presence of a Vice City Police Department (VCPD) vehicle, a detail that suggests Grand Theft Auto 6 may be set in Vice City, a Miami-esque city that first appeared in the fourth game in the franchise, GTA: Vice City, which was published back in 2002. And because one character was seen with a smartphone, the leaks suggested that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be set in a relatively modern time period.

Based on the first official GTA 6 trailer, we also have confirmation that GTA 6 will be set in Vice City in the Leonida region—the game’s version of Miami, Florida—in a modern time period. Social media also appears to play a big role in the game, if the trailer’s inclusion of many livestreams and social media account posts are any indication.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Crypto Rumors Are Swirling Again—Here’s What’s Going On

Another day, another buzzy rumor going viral on Crypto Twitter. Rumors that the highly anticipated (and massively leaked) game Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a blockchain game or include some kind of cryptocurrency that can be redeemed in real life have resurfaced again this week—after initially spawning in 2021 and then swirling again last year. However, the claims are currently unsubstantiated. A Forbes India article cited a crypto Twitter account as its source for the rumors, and neither Grand Th...

Other possible leaks that have yet to be confirmed include some wild possible experiences players could encounter, like a “satanist house,” “UFO Animal House,” “Warehouse Sex Robots,” “Big Cat Mansion,” “Drug Lab,” and more.

What's new in GTA 6?

Bloomberg first reported in September 2022 that Grand Theft Auto 6 will have a female character as a playable protagonist—a first for the franchise. This is Lucia, with her male partner being the second playable protagonist.

The game could also have an “evolving” world, meaning that Rockstar may implement seasonal changes or other continued updates to transform the game’s maps over time. 

5 Biggest Reveals From the GTA 6 Trailer

After years of leaks and crypto rumors, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 has finally dropped. The trailer was initially planned for a release Tuesday morning, but more leaks on Monday afternoon inspired the studio at Rockstar Games to release the trailer late Monday night. Despite being only a brisk one and a half minutes in length, the GTA 6 trailer has already confirmed earlier speculation and leaks surrounding the game’s location and main characters. Here are the biggest reveals from...

In a completely different development, musician T-Pain said in January (via IGN) that he's working on Grand Theft Auto 6 in some respect, presumably as a voice actor or perhaps portraying himself within the game's larger-than-life world.

T-Pain said on a livestream that Rockstar Games asked him to stop playing on GTA5 role-playing servers in the meantime, allegedly since the servers represent an unofficial project built on top of GTA5.

As Grand Theft Auto 6 rumors continue to spread, fans will have to continue to wait until Rockstar releases a statement—or the game. 

In response to a fan asking GTA 5 voice actor Ned Luke—who plays “Michael” in the game—about GTA 6, Luke had a simple response: “Gonna be worth the wait.”

7 Massive Games From 2024 Worth Playing Over the Holiday Break

For many of us, the upcoming holiday break means having a lot of time on our hands.  We're at home with the family, off work or school, and we can only stand so many Christmas movies, so many cookies, and so much time with our beloved family members.  Instead of looking for a million little ways to distract ourselves or doomscrolling on our phones, why not look for a single game to invest time in?  The following games will each provide you with dozens of hours of fun, and the only regret you'll...

Take-Two CEO Zelnick certainly has high hopes. The Financial Times reported in January 2025, citing data from DFC Intelligence, that Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to sell 40 million copies and bring in $3.2 billion in revenue during its first year of release.

“I never claim victory before it occurs,” Zelnick told the publication. “That said, I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal."

Will GTA 6 support crypto?

Rumors have been swirling for years that GTA 6 could offer players in-game crypto rewards, or otherwise feature cryptocurrency in some way, but these rumors currently remain unsubstantiated.

In May 2023, Game Rant speculated that a fake cryptocurrency may not actually be deployed in GTA 6, but that the sequel may simply make crypto “the butt of many jokes.” Such an assessment aligns with Bloomberg’s perspective that GTA 5 is “a satirical depiction of America” and offers “a nihilistic parody that threw insults at everything.”

Bitcoin and Ethereum in GTA 6? It’s All Still Rumors—For Now

Rumors that the widely anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 will utilize cryptocurrency have been circulating for more than a year now—and they’re swirling again. On Wednesday, a pseudonymous Crypto Twitter influencer called Gordon—apparently named after Gordon Gekko from the iconic 1987 film “Wall Street”—shared to his nearly 500,000 followers that “GTA 6 will enable cryptocurrency payments,” and that “so far only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT [are] confirmed.” But in reality, no cryptocurrencies have...

Furthermore, in July 2024, a viral tweet suggested that the use of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether's USDT stablecoin were "confirmed" for GTA 6, though that wasn't true—Rockstar confirmed no such thing.

Considering that Rockstar Games banned crypto and NFTs from its GTA Online fan servers in November 2022, it’s unlikely that any real cryptocurrency like Bitcoin would make its way in Grand Theft Auto 6 via some kind of blockchain integration, let alone as a synthetic in-game currency.

Given the crypto ban for GTA Online servers, it currently appears unlikely that Rockstar would allow crypto-powered servers for GTA 6. That hasn't stopped major streamers like Adin Ross and FaZe Banks for claiming that they'll launch their own server once the game is out, powered by a new token. But unless Rockstar changes its policy with the new game, that won't be allowed.

Streamers Adin Ross and FaZe Banks Plan Crypto 'GTA 6' Server—Would It Be Banned?

Popular Kick streamer Adin Ross said he plans to create a crypto-infused custom server for Grand Theft Auto 6 with gaming influencer and FaZe Clan CEO and co-founder Richard "FaZe Banks" Bengtson, once the hotly anticipated title hits shelves. But the plan could be doomed from the start. “When GTA 6 drops, me and Ricky are going to make the biggest server together,” Ross said during a livestream on Monday. “And I promise you, it’s going to be completely crypto. Everything pro-crypto about it. It...

Take-Two Interactive was previously working on NFT games through Zynga, which it acquired in 2022. But Zynga's crypto team spun out from the company in late 2024, taking the IP with it, so it appears that Take-Two is fully out of the blockchain space for the time being.

Rockstar's silence on the matter hasn't stopped crypto degens from launching numerous Solana meme coins inspired by the franchise, with tokens like "GTA 6 Coin" and "GTA Guy" launching in January 2025 (neither gained much traction). Again, these are completely unofficial and unauthorized tokens, and meme coins are famously volatile and often crash to zero.

Additional reporting by Kate Irwin

Editor's note: This story was originally posted on August 28, 2023 and was last updated with new information on February 10, 2025.