Grand Theft Auto, usually shortened to GTA, is Rockstar Games' open-world crime series. It began with the original Grand Theft Auto in 1997 and grew from top-down driving and action games into large 3D worlds built around criminal protagonists, vehicles, missions, combat and free exploration. 1
Rockstar North, formerly DMA Design, is the series' primary development studio. Rockstar Games publishes the games under parent company Take-Two Interactive. Other Rockstar studios have worked on particular releases, ports and online components.
Historical Background and Development
The first two games used a top-down perspective. Grand Theft Auto III moved the series into a 3D Liberty City in 2001, establishing the open-world format followed by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. 2 3 4
Grand Theft Auto IV returned to Liberty City in 2008. Grand Theft Auto V followed in 2013 with three playable protagonists in Los Santos and Blaine County, and its online component opened that October. 5 6 7
Major Grand Theft Auto Games
The table follows the major standalone releases rather than counting every mission pack, compilation, port or mobile edition as a separate game.
Major Grand Theft Auto releases
Game | Original release | Place in the series |
|---|---|---|
Grand Theft Auto | 1997 1 | Original top-down game |
Grand Theft Auto 2 | 1999 1 | Second top-down entry |
October 22, 2001 2 | First 3D-era entry; set in Liberty City | |
October 27, 2002 3 | 1980s Vice City story starring Tommy Vercetti | |
October 26, 2004 4 | State-wide story starring Carl Johnson | |
April 29, 2008 5 | Modern Liberty City story starring Niko Bellic | |
September 17, 2013 6 | Los Santos story with Michael, Franklin and Trevor | |
November 19, 2026 8 | Upcoming Leonida story starring Lucia and Jason |
Major standalone GTA games in original release order. Grand Theft Auto VI is upcoming.
GTA Online and Other Releases
Grand Theft Auto Online opened on October 1, 2013 and remains the series' continuing online world, with new missions, businesses, vehicles and activities added through updates. 7
The wider catalogue also includes the GTA: London mission packs, Grand Theft Auto Advance, Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, Chinatown Wars and the two Grand Theft Auto IV episodes. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition later brought GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas together in an updated collection. 9
Cultural Impact and Controversies
GTA III helped establish the 3D open-world format that later entries expanded. The freedom, satire and criminal subject matter across GTA have also kept the games at the center of debates about violence, censorship and adult content. 2
Grand Theft Auto VI
Grand Theft Auto VI launches for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. It follows Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval across Leonida, including a modern Vice City. 8
Legacy and Contemporary Relevance
The series remains active between major numbered releases through GTA Online and newer versions of GTA V. Take-Two listed both among its largest contributors to net bookings and revenue during fiscal year 2026, while GTA VI is scheduled to extend the series into Leonida in November 2026. 10
References
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Annual Report for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1999, Take-Two Interactive, filed February 18, 2000. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto III, Rockstar Games. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar Games. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar Games. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar Games. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto V Is Coming 9.17.2013, Rockstar Games, published January 31, 2013. Accessed August 12, 2026.
GTAV Title Update Details, Rockstar Games, published October 1, 2013. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar Games. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, Rockstar Games. Accessed August 12, 2026.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026, Take-Two Interactive, published May 21, 2026. Accessed August 12, 2026.