It is kind of wild to think that we have been stealing cars and causing digital mayhem for nearly thirty years. Most people think they know the series inside and out. They remember CJ, they remember the neon lights of Vice City, and they definitely remember the first time they stepped into Los Santos as Franklin. But honestly? If you try to map out all GTA games in order, you’re going to run into some serious confusion.
It isn't just about the numbers on the boxes. Rockstar Games didn't just go from 1 to 2 to 3. They built entire "universes" that don't even talk to each other. You've got the 2D era, the 3D era, and the HD era. If you play them in the order they came out, you're jumping through time like a broken VCR.
The 2D Era: Where the Chaos Started
Back in 1997, nobody knew what a "Grand Theft Auto" was. It was just this top-down game from a studio called DMA Design. You played as a pixelated criminal, and the camera was way up in the sky. It felt more like an arcade game than the cinematic masterpieces we have now.
Grand Theft Auto (1997) was the spark. You had three cities: Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. Sound familiar? They’ve been reusing those same locations for decades, just making them bigger and prettier.
Then things got weird. We got two expansions: GTA: London 1969 and GTA: London 1961. These are the only times the series ever left the United States. They were released in 1999, and they're basically the hip, mod-culture versions of the original.
Grand Theft Auto 2 arrived later in 1999. It’s a bit of an outlier. It takes place in "Anywhere City," and there’s a lot of debate about when it actually happens. Some fans point to the "Y2K bug" references and say it's 1999. Others look at the futuristic cars and the official website lore and swear it’s set in 2013. Either way, it introduced the "Respect" system with different gangs, which basically set the stage for everything that followed.
The 3D Era: Changing Gaming Forever
In 2001, everything shifted. Grand Theft Auto III dropped on the PlayStation 2, and the world lost its mind. We finally went from looking at the top of a character's head to seeing the world from behind their shoulder. Liberty City felt alive. You were Claude, a silent protagonist who basically got betrayed and then worked his way up the criminal food chain.
But if you’re looking at all GTA games in order, the release dates don't match the story timeline here.
The 80s and 90s Throwbacks
GTA: Vice City (2002) is probably the most stylish game ever made. Tommy Vercetti, voiced by the late Ray Liotta, took us back to 1986. It was all Hawaiian shirts, cocaine deals, and New Wave music.
Then came the behemoth. GTA: San Andreas (2004). This wasn't just a city; it was an entire state. You were CJ in 1992, dealing with corrupt cops and gang wars. It added RPG elements like getting fat or buff, which was unheard of at the time.
The Forgotten Spin-offs
People always forget the handhelds. Grand Theft Auto Advance came out the same day as San Andreas, but on the Game Boy Advance. It’s actually a prequel to GTA III, set in 2000.
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Then we had the "Stories" games:
- GTA: Liberty City Stories (2005): Set in 1998. You play as Toni Cipriani.
- GTA: Vice City Stories (2006): Set in 1984. You play as Victor Vance.
If you want to play the 3D era chronologically, you actually start with Vice City Stories and end with GTA III. It's a bit of a headache, honestly.
The HD Era: Realism and Satire
In 2008, Rockstar decided to reboot the whole thing. They called it the HD Universe. Nothing that happened to CJ or Tommy Vercetti matters here. It's a clean slate.
Grand Theft Auto IV was dark. Like, really dark. Niko Bellic arrives in Liberty City in 2008 looking for the "American Dream" and finds a cold, gray reality. The physics engine (RAGE) made cars feel heavy and crashes feel painful.
We also got two massive expansions that intertwined with Niko's story: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. Both came out in 2009. They showed different sides of the same city—the gritty biker underworld and the high-end nightclub scene.
GTA: Chinatown Wars (2009) is a hidden gem. It went back to the top-down perspective but with modern graphics for the Nintendo DS and PSP. It’s set in the same Liberty City as GTA IV, just through the eyes of Huang Lee.
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The Era of Grand Theft Auto V and Beyond
Then, in 2013, the world stopped for Grand Theft Auto V.
Three protagonists: Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. It was a massive gamble that paid off. The story moves between them seamlessly. But the real story here is GTA Online. It launched a few weeks after the main game and hasn't stopped growing since. It’s been 13 years since GTA V launched, and it has been ported to three different console generations.
The Long Wait for GTA VI
As of right now, in early 2026, the hype is at a breaking point. Rockstar officially delayed Grand Theft Auto VI to November 19, 2026. They said they needed the extra months for "polish."
We know it's set in Leonida (basically Florida) and features two protagonists, Lucia and Jason. It’s the first time we’ve had a female lead since the 2D days. The trailers show a world that looks scarily real, focusing on social media culture and the "Florida Man" chaos we all know and love.
All GTA Games in Release Order
If you're just looking for a straight list of when things hit the shelves, here it is. No fluff.
- Grand Theft Auto (1997)
- GTA: London 1969 (1999)
- GTA: London 1961 (1999)
- Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)
- Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
- Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004)
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)
- Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
- The Lost and Damned (2009)
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009)
- The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009)
- Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
- Grand Theft Auto Online (2013)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Expected November 19, 2026)
Actionable Insights for the Modern Player
If you are planning to revisit the series before GTA VI drops, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First, the Definitive Edition trilogy (III, Vice City, and San Andreas) had a rough launch in 2021. It’s much better now after several patches, but some purists still prefer the original versions with mods. If you're on PC, look into the "SilentPatch" mods; they fix years of bugs that Rockstar never bothered with.
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Second, don't sleep on GTA IV. A lot of people skipped it or hated the driving physics, but its story is arguably the best in the franchise. It feels more "grown-up" than the slapstick humor of GTA V.
Finally, if you’re trying to keep up with the lore for the upcoming release, focus on the HD Universe games. There's a high chance we see characters or brands from GTA IV and V pop up in Leonida.
Get your PC or console ready. The jump from the 2013 tech of Los Santos to the 2026 tech of Leonida is going to be the biggest leap in gaming history.
Next Steps:
- Check your hardware: GTA VI is confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. No PC date has been set yet, which is classic Rockstar.
- Replay GTA V: Pay attention to the "Heist" mechanics; rumors suggest GTA VI will evolve this system significantly.
- Watch the trailers again: Fans have already mapped out parts of Leonida based on 2024 and 2025 footage. It's worth seeing where the landmarks are.