GTA ZONE

All GTA Games in Order: From 1997 to GTA 6

By Alfred from GTA Zone · Published May 28, 2026 · 4 min read

GTA poster-style illustration: a muscle car cruises down a coastal road at sunset toward a neon skyline, palm trees on either side, magenta and orange sky
Illustration: GTA Zone

From the 1997 top-down original to the return to Vice City planned for 2026, the Grand Theft Auto series counts eight main entries, two distinct “universes,” and several in-house engines. Here’s every GTA game in order, with what made each one a milestone, and not just one more sequel.

The origins: DMA Design and the top-down view

Before Rockstar, there was DMA Design, a Scottish studio founded in Dundee in 1988 by David Jones, already known for Lemmings. In 1997, he dreamed up a game where you steal cars seen from above in an open city, with a radio that turns everything into a joke. Success was immediate, as much for the scandal as for the freedom it offered. Take-Two bought the studio, folded it into Rockstar Games in early 2002, then renamed it Rockstar North in May of that same year.

Stylized top-down view of a city grid at night in magenta and cyan neon, tiny cars on the streets and a beach on the left, in the spirit of the early GTA perspective
The top-down view of the first two GTA games, the series' DNA before the move to 3D. Illustration: GTA Zone

Two universes, two engines

Fans draw a line between two big continuities. The “3D universe” opens with Grand Theft Auto III in 2001 and includes Vice City and San Andreas, all powered by Criterion’s RenderWare engine. When Electronic Arts bought Criterion in 2004, Rockstar built its own engine, RAGE, first used on Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis in 2006. Starting with Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), paired with the Euphoria physics engine, the “HD universe” begins, the one that runs through GTA V and then GTA VI. One thread ties it all together: pushing the density and realism of the open world a little further with every entry.

Game Release Universe Engine
GTA · GTA 21997 · 19992D (top-down)In-house 2D engine
GTA III20013DRenderWare
Vice City20023DRenderWare
San Andreas20043DRenderWare
GTA IV2008HDRAGE + Euphoria
GTA V2013HDRAGE
GTA VI2026HDRAGE

The handheld entries everyone forgets

Between the big releases, Rockstar kept the series alive on handhelds. Liberty City Stories (2005) and Vice City Stories (2006), developed by Rockstar Leeds on PSP, revisit those iconic settings with an engine very close to the original RenderWare. GTA Advance (2004) took a swing at it on Game Boy Advance, and Chinatown Wars (2009) brilliantly brought the top-down view back on Nintendo DS, to real critical acclaim. Side entries, sure, but real GTA, and often left off the rankings.

GTA 6, the new chapter in the series

The next one lands on November 19, 2026. Rockstar brings the series back to Vice City and the state of Leonida, with a hero duo, Jason and Lucia, and a world that feels more alive than ever. In the meantime, GTA Online keeps running, as we explain in Will GTA Online shut down with GTA 6?.

Nighttime aerial view of downtown Vice City in GTA VI: the Sahara Arena, a lit-up Ferris wheel, the Vice City Arts Center, and bayside towers, with the lights of the city and harbor in the distance
Modern Vice City in GTA VI, seen at night: thirty years after its top-down debut, the series returns to the city that made it iconic. Source: Rockstar Games
The first official GTA VI trailer, unveiled by Rockstar, which shattered view records. Source: Rockstar Games

And to wrap up, here are all the main entries in order, from the 2D origins to the next big comeback.

  1. 1

    Grand Theft Auto (1997)

    It all starts on PC and MS-DOS, made by DMA Design, the Scottish studio out of Dundee founded by David Jones, the man behind Lemmings. Top-down view, stolen cars by the dozen, and a radio that mocks everything: the first GTA lays down the formula, freedom, irreverence, and a killer soundtrack, that the series never let go of again. Back then, its scandalous reputation sold it just as much as the gameplay did.

  2. 2

    Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)

    Two years later, GTA 2 keeps the top-down view but moves to a nameless retro-futuristic city, and adds a gang system you have to keep happy to earn respect. It would be the last fully 2D main entry: the studio was already working on the big leap to 3D.

  3. 3

    Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

    The real earthquake. By moving the series into 3D in Liberty City, on Criterion's RenderWare engine, this third entry invents the modern urban sandbox and kicks off what fans call the “3D universe.” The studio is renamed Rockstar North in 2002. Nothing in open-world gaming would ever be the same.

  4. 4

    Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)

    Set in 1986 in a Miami of neon, pastel, and synthwave, with Tommy Vercetti as an ambitious up-and-coming gangster. Vice City proves the series can capture an era as much as a city. It's that iconic setting the new generation is reviving in modern form, as we break down in our comparison of the old and new Vice City.

  5. 5

    Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

    The behemoth of the PlayStation 2 era: a whole state, three cities, the countryside, bikes, the gym, and CJ's rise. It's the biggest and most ambitious of the RenderWare GTAs, and for a long time the favorite of an entire generation of players.

  6. 6

    Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

    A new era and a new engine: this fourth entry is the series' debut for the in-house RAGE engine and the Euphoria physics system, already road-tested on Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis in 2006. Liberty City is reborn in high definition, Niko Bellic brings a darker, more disillusioned tone, and the “HD universe” begins.

  7. 7

    Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

    The phenomenon. Three playable protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, a Los Santos more alive than ever, and above all GTA Online, which turns the game into a near-endless live service. More than 225 million copies make it the second best-selling game of all time, and the reason GTA 5 is still going strong in 2026.

  8. 8

    Grand Theft Auto VI (2026)

    The new chapter, due November 19, 2026. A return to Vice City and the state of Leonida, a playable hero duo, Jason and Lucia, and once again the RAGE engine, pushed up a notch. To gauge the leap since 2013, check out our GTA 5 vs GTA 6 comparison and our deep dive on the Leonida map.

FAQ

How many GTA games are there?

Eight main entries so far, from Grand Theft Auto (1997) to GTA VI (2026), plus several handheld spin-offs like Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, and Chinatown Wars.

What was the first GTA game?

Grand Theft Auto, released in 1997 on PC and MS-DOS, developed by the Scottish studio DMA Design (later Rockstar North), already known for Lemmings. It played from a 2D, top-down perspective.

Which GTA sold the most?

GTA V, by a wide margin: more than 225 million copies shipped, making it the second best-selling game of all time, behind only Minecraft. The franchise as a whole has passed 460 million units.

When does GTA 6 come out?

GTA VI is set for November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It brings the series back to Vice City, in the fictional state of Leonida, inspired by Florida.

In what order should you play the GTA games?

Release order is the simplest. The stories are standalone: the 3D universe (GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas) and the HD universe (GTA IV, V, VI) don't share the same continuity, so you can start with any of them without missing a thing.

Sources

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