Ranking

Best Games Like GTA to Play While You Wait for GTA 6

What to play while waiting for GTA 6? Our pick of the best games like GTA, from open-world crime epics like Red Dead Redemption 2 to Cyberpunk 2077.

By Alfred from GTA Zone · Published June 8, 2026 · 3 min read

Game-cover-style illustration: a living room at dusk seen from behind, a big TV showing a neon-lit open-world city under an orange sky, a controller resting on a coffee table, sunset light and palm trees at the window — Illustration: GTA Zone

What should you play while waiting for GTA 6? Grand Theft Auto VI is locked in for November 19, 2026, and the wait is long. The good news: the open-world crime genre didn’t wait for Rockstar to come into its own. From the Wild West to Night City, here are seven games that scratch the GTA itch, ranked from closest to its DNA to the most exotic.

To build this list, we threw out the lazy clones and kept titles that share at least one pillar of the GTA formula: an open world to explore freely, driving and action, a crime-focused universe, and above all genuine quality in the writing or the simulation. All of them are playable today on current platforms. And if the craving for Rockstar really has you, take a look at the best Rockstar games besides GTA or our breakdown of the future of GTA Online after GTA VI.

Our picks at a glance

Game	Studio	Release	Platforms	What it shares with GTA
Red Dead Redemption 2	Rockstar Games	2018	PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series	Same RAGE engine, same studio
Cyberpunk 2077	CD Projekt RED	2020	PC, PS5, Xbox Series	Big open city, driving, RPG
Mafia: The Old Country	Hangar 13 / 2K	2025	PC, PS5, Xbox Series	Crime drama, cinematic staging
Watch Dogs 2	Ubisoft	2016	PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series	Urban sandbox, driving, missions
Sleeping Dogs	United Front / Square Enix	2012	PC, PS4, Xbox One (Definitive)	Open-world crime, driving
Saints Row (series)	Volition	2006-2022	PC, PS, Xbox	The most unapologetic GTA clone
Like a Dragon (Yakuza)	RGG Studio / Sega	since 2005	PC, PS, Xbox	Organized crime, open districts

Number one isn’t up for debate. Red Dead Redemption 2 shares GTA’s technical DNA to the point of being almost a direct cousin. Just look at the launch trailer, which remains a textbook case of Rockstar staging.

The Red Dead Redemption 2 launch trailer, the game closest to the GTA experience. Source: Rockstar Games

Illustration of a futuristic megalopolis at night, skyscrapers covered in pink and cyan neon, a rain-soaked street reflecting the signs, a low-slung car parked, cyberpunk mood — Night City, the megalopolis of Cyberpunk 2077, offers the densest big open city around right now. Illustration: GTA Zone

For the record, the wait for GTA VI also comes down to the sheer ambition of the project: we dig into the reasons behind the timeline in our look at why GTA V still holds up since 2013, and at the standing of Red Dead Redemption 2, the third best-selling game of all time. Now, here’s our ranking, from closest to the GTA spirit to the most original.

1
Red Dead Redemption 2

The obvious choice. Red Dead Redemption 2 comes from Rockstar Games and runs on the same RAGE engine (with Euphoria physics) as GTA V and GTA VI: mechanically, it's the closest thing to GTA that exists. You play Arthur Morgan in the Van der Linde gang, in 1899, at the twilight of the Wild West. The setting changes, but the density of the world, the NPC AI, and the cinematic staging are all top-tier. Released in 2018, it has passed 85 million copies sold, becoming the 3rd best-selling game of all time behind Minecraft and GTA V. If you only fire up one title before Vice City, make it this one.
2
Cyberpunk 2077

The big modern city. Where GTA shines through its living metropolis, Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt RED, 2020) counters with Night City, a vertical megalopolis in first person, packed with driving, gunfights, and carefully written side quests. Its launch was a technical disaster, but the game went through a complete comeback with the 2.0 overhaul and the critically acclaimed Phantom Liberty expansion (2023). More than 30 million copies sold and a sequel (code-named Project Orion) in development: it's the best urban open world to roam right now while you wait for GTA VI.
3
Mafia: The Old Country

The freshest pick on the list. Released on August 8, 2025 by Hangar 13 (2K), Mafia: The Old Country goes back to the roots of organized crime in 1900s Sicily, on Unreal Engine 5. You follow Enzo Favara, a young carusu pulled into the Torrisi family. One key caveat: unlike Mafia III, this is a linear, cinematic experience, not an open sandbox. But for anyone who loves the 'crime drama' side of GTA, its botched heists and its betrayals, the Mafia series is still the genre's benchmark. A brand-new, excellent entry point.
4
Watch Dogs 2

The urban sandbox. At Ubisoft, Watch Dogs 2 (2016) moves the GTA formula to San Francisco and grafts hacking onto it: you play Marcus, of the DedSec collective, able to hack drones, cars, cranes, and cameras all over the city. Driving, gunplay, open worlds, missions with multiple approaches: the kinship with GTA is obvious, just with a more colorful tone. The sequel, Watch Dogs: Legion (London, 2020), pushed the idea far enough to make every NPC playable. The franchise is dormant today, but this second entry is still a great playground.
5
Sleeping Dogs

The hidden gem. Sleeping Dogs (United Front Games / Square Enix, 2012) puts you in the shoes of Wei Shen, a Chinese-American cop undercover in the Sun On Yee triad in Hong Kong. What sets it apart from GTA: snappy kung-fu hand-to-hand combat instead of leaning on guns, a tighter map but a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Born from the ashes of True Crime (canceled by Activision in 2011) and rescued by Square Enix, it earned the status of an underrated cult classic. The 2014 Definitive Edition is still the best way to play it. It never got a sequel, and that's a crime.
6
Saints Row

The unapologetic chaos machine. For years, Saints Row (Volition) was GTA's most direct rival, before going full over-the-top with The Third and IV: absurd weapons, superpowers, lowbrow humor. The bad news: the 2022 reboot disappointed, and studio Volition was shut down by Embracer on August 31, 2023. The franchise is on hold, with no new entry in sight. The good news: the older games are still terrific comedic sandboxes, perfect when you want the exact opposite of GTA VI's realism.
7
Like a Dragon (Yakuza)

The Japanese outsider. The Like a Dragon saga, formerly Yakuza (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / Sega), is organized crime seen from Tokyo: compact districts with a wild density of side activities, a unique blend of mob drama and total absurdity. One big caveat: since Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), combat has shifted to turn-based RPG style; for pure action in the GTA spirit, aim for the older ones instead (Yakuza 0, Kiwami). Infinite Wealth (2024) even takes the series outside Japan, all the way to Hawaii. Different from GTA, but irresistible.

FAQ

What game is the closest thing to GTA?

Red Dead Redemption 2, no question. It's the same studio (Rockstar Games) and the same engine (RAGE, backed by Euphoria physics) as GTA V and GTA VI. The setting changes, swapping the city for the 1899 frontier, but the open-world philosophy, the depth of the simulation, and the cinematic staging all come from the same hands.

What should I play while waiting for GTA 6?

Our picks: Red Dead Redemption 2 for the Rockstar DNA, Cyberpunk 2077 for the big modern city, Mafia: The Old Country for a recent crime drama, Watch Dogs 2 for the urban sandbox, Sleeping Dogs for Hong Kong action, Saints Row for pure chaos, and the Like a Dragon series for crime done the Japanese way. Plenty to tide you over until November 19, 2026.

Is there a game exactly like GTA in multiplayer?

The closest thing to GTA Online is GTA Online itself, still updated to this day. For something more immersive, GTA RP via the FiveM mod turns GTA 5 into a full-blown roleplaying game. Outside the franchise, no title matches the scale of Rockstar's online mode: it's one of its biggest advantages.

Is Saints Row dead?

The franchise is on ice. The 2022 reboot disappointed, and its studio Volition was shut down by Embracer on August 31, 2023. No new entry is in development. The older games, especially Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV, are still fantastic playgrounds in the most over-the-top GTA spirit.