GTA 6 Release Date & Features: 10 Things to Know Right Now

Here’s what you need to know right now about Grand Theft Auto 6, based on traditions, rumors, confirmed information, and what we expect from Rockstar.

The next Grand Theft Auto game is titled Grand Theft Auto VI or GTA 6/GTA VI for short. It’s official, it’s in development, but Rockstar remains pretty tight-lipped about its plans.

Thanks to the game’s first trailer, we finally have some official details. We’ve also seen a ton of leaks and potential information emerge, but we still don’t know a whole lot about the game.

We know a lot of gamers have questions about GTA 6’s release so we’ll outline everything we know, and think we know, in this guide.

GTA 6 Release Date

The GTA 6 trailer confirmed the game’s release window. It’s coming to consoles in 2025.

As for specific timing, the GTA 6 release date is currently unknown and we’ve seen a bunch of different time frames thrown out there by journalists and leakers.

In Take-Two’s first earnings call of 2024, CEO Strauss Zelnick says the company “is seeking perfection, and when we feel we’ve optimized creatively, that’s the time to release.”

Bloomberg reports Rockstar asked “employees to return to the office five days a week beginning in April as the company enters the final stages of development on its next game” which is GTA 6.

That doesn’t sound like a game that will get pushed beyond 2025.

Back in 2023, Tez2, a well-known source for Grand Theft Auto news, claimed some developers expected the release window to come in 2025. That proved to be accurate.

They believe a spring release is currently “expected” for the game, but that it could get pushed into the fall given what happened with RDR 2 and GTA 5.

Both games arrived in the fall after delays. GTA 5 was first released in September while Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived in October.

A report from Kotaku, citing sources familiar with Rockstar’s plans, says that “while early 2025 was at one point possible, it’s no longer the target for Grand Theft Auto VI’s launch.”

Tez2 also claimed we may see the game’s release for PC lag behind the release date for consoles. This seems accurate given that a release for Windows wasn’t included in any of Rockstar’s announcements.

For a bit more about GTA 6’s release for PC, check out our guide.

GTA 6 Consoles

GTA 6 is confirmed for three platforms: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5. It should also come to Windows down the road, but again, Rockstar hasn’t confirmed.

Unfortunately, GTA 6 will miss the Xbox One series and PS4. While this is obviously disappointing, it’s a growing trend given the age of these platforms.

Sony’s reportedly working on a PS5 Pro. According to Tom Henderson, the console, which would likely offer better performance, is tentatively scheduled to arrive in 2024.

Analysts also believe Sony’s gearing up to launch a PS5 Pro in 2024. The company wants to generate interest in the console after the company cut its forecast for PS5 sales.

They also believe Sony wants to get a new and improved version of the console out in time for GTA 6’s release.

GTA 6’s publisher, Take-Two, also believes we’ll see mid-generation console refreshes.

GTA 6 Cover

We’ve seen a people release their own cover art ideas for the game, but the actual GTA 6 cover hasn’t emerged just yet.

Unless Rockstar suffers another monster leak, we probably won’t get our first glimpse at the GTA 6 cover until the developer officially puts the game up for pre-order.

GTA 6 Pre-Orders

It almost goes without saying, but don’t buy any GTA 6 pre-orders from eBay or other services promising early access to the game right now.

Pre-orders for the game will go live whenever Rockstar sets a release date.

Look for Rockstar to entice shoppers with GTA 6 pre-order bonuses. These will likely be in-game items like cosmetics for your character, weapon skins, and other items.

One of the GTA 5 pre-order bonuses was the Atomic Blimp which you can see in the image above.

GTA 6 Editions

We haven’t heard anything about GTA 6 editions. That being said, you can expect several bundles.

Rockstar initially launched three versions of GTA 5: A Standard edition, a Special Edition, and a Collector’s Edition. Each came at a different price point with a different set of bonus items.

The Special Edition and the Collector’s Edition featured a steel book, a blueprint map, bonus outfits and tattoos, additional weapons, and more.

The Collector’s Edition, the most expensive bundle, also came with a hat, security deposit bag, GTA 5 key, along with unique vehicles and properties.

Rockstar also released multiple Red Dead Redemption 2 editions so it’s safe to say this approach will probably be used again with GTA 6.

GTA 6 Price

We haven’t heard anything firm about the game’s price point, but as of right now you can expect the GTA 6 price for Xbox Series X and PS5 to start at $69.99.

This is the going rate for AAA titles these days and there’s no reason to believe one of the biggest games of the decade will command any less.

That should be the price for the standard version of the game. If Rockstar releases multiple bundles, and it most likely will, you can expect them to cost more.

GTA 6 Map

The real Red Dead Redemption 2 map leaked ahead of the game’s arrival, but we haven’t seen the official GTA 6 map emerge yet. Or have we?

Some eagle-eyed users on Reddit have spotted what they believe could be GTA 6’s map, or part of it, lurking in the game’s first trailer.

Rockstar is a company known for its easter eggs. For instance a shirt in GTA Online confirmed the GTA 6 trailer’s release date, so this isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem. Still, it’s best to take it with an immense grain of salt.

GTA 6’s setting is based on Rockstar’s version of Florida, known as Leonida. Much in the way GTA 5 took players out of Los Santos, GTA 6 will take players into areas beyond Vice City/Miami.

Like Rockstar’s previous games, you can expect an expansive map to explore with various environments. And, according to Bloomberg, we could see Rockstar add to the map over time, kind of like how Fortnite’s map continually evolves.

The report suggests that in an effort to avoid employee crunch, Rockstar plans to “continually update the game over time, adding new missions and cities on a regular basis.”

That being said, you can expect a huge world from the start with, as Bloomberg adds, “more interior locations than previous Grand Theft Auto games.”

This may be accomplished through the use of AI.

GTA 6 Features

Most of what we know about GTA 6’s features come from a hack Rockstar Games endured in the fall of 2022. A user on GTAForums posted 90 videos showing nearly an hour of footage of the unfinished game.

Rockstar and several journalists confirmed the authenticity of the footage and it was said that some of the content was about a year old.

We don’t want to spoil anything plot-related so we’ll cover what we know about the game’s gameplay/mechanics, some of which come from Rockstar’s previous games.

Here are some of the highlights thus far. Keep in mind, some of these GTA 6 features may not make it into the final version of the game:

• Dialogue system similar to Red Dead Redemption 2’s where you can talk to any NPC
• Stealth mechanics including carrying bodies and the ability to crawl prone
• Wanted system
• Weapon wheel
• Consumables like painkillers
• Ability to pick up or drop weapons
• Random world events (spoilers)

You can also expect a GTA 6 Online component.

GTA 5, GTA 4, Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Redemption 2 all had online servers so it’s very safe to assume GTA 6 will as well.

A well-known leaker claims GTA 6’s multiplayer component won’t include dedicated servers. He claims “Take-Two rejected a proposal for dedicated servers a few years ago.”

We also now know that artist T-Pain, who role plays on GTA Online servers, is currently working on GTA 6 in some capacity. He says Rockstar told him to stop playing on GTA roleplay servers while he works on the new game.

He says other role players have teamed up with Rockstar to work on GTA 6.

GTA 6 DLC

With GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar decided not to release premium single-player content, much to the dismay of gamers who enjoyed its offerings for games like GTA 4 and the original Red Dead Redemption. Fortunately, that could change with GTA 6.

According to a noted insider, Rockstar may cut portions of the game in order to get the game out on time. It may package that content into DLC packs for release at a later time. The same leaker has reiterated this is a newer post.

This should be music to the ears of those who adored Rockstar’s fantastic single-player DLC expansions. That being said, given that the game is still in development, this news should be taken for what it is, a rumor.

GTA 6 PC Requirements

If you’re looking to buy GTA 6 for Windows PC, note that we probably won’t get the game’s minimum and recommended requirements until we’re closer to the release date for PC.

If you’re planning to run GTA 6 at its highest settings, you’ll need to keep your PC up-to-date with the latest hardware. So given that a release isn’t expected for another year or more, be prepared to shell out cash.