GTA 6 Release Window, Trailer, Characters And More

"Grand Theft Auto 6" has become one of the most highly anticipated video games of all time, partly because of the decade-plus gap since the release of "Grand Theft Auto 5," but also just because the franchise has attained such mythical status. There are few AAA developers out there with more cultural clout or higher expectations than Rockstar Games. Even though it's been years since the studio has put out a new "GTA" installment, it set the gaming world ablaze most recently in 2018 with the release of "Red Dead Redemption 2," which only raises expectations for the new game.

The path to "GTA 6" has been littered with rumors, delays, rumored delays, leaks, fan theories, and sky-high hopes. But at long last, fans finally have both an official look at the game and a proper release window. So let's dig into what's been announced about "GTA 6," when it's coming out, what the story is, and everything else we know so far.

Rockstar has announced a release window for "Grand Theft Auto 6," but it's neither specific nor especially close. All we know is that the game is slated to arrive sometime in 2025. That means fans have (at minimum) a little over a year still to wait. But given the company's past, it's likely that the number might be closer to two years.

"Grand Theft Auto 5" came out in September 2013. "Red Dead Redemption 2" was released in October 2018. That suggests that we may also be getting a fall release date for "GTA 6." Going back farther into Rockstar's catalog, you can find major games released in the spring, like the first "Red Dead Redemption" and "Grand Theft Auto 4," which came out in May and April, respectively. But strictly going off of the studio's more recent past, a year-and-a-half wait seems likely.

As far as systems go, Rockstar has only announced "GTA 6" for three consoles so far: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. No PC port has been announced, which, given how long it took to get one for "GTA 5" and "Red Dead Redemption 2," sadly isn't surprising. PC gamers will likely get to play "GTA 6" at a later date, but that has yet to be confirmed.

The first official trailer for "Grand Theft Auto 6" may not include a ton of specific story details or gameplay footage, but it does provide a bright and colorful montage of Vice City and the greater Leonida area. We see Lucia presumably leaving her prison sentence, which she blames on "bad luck." She then reunites with her partner and gets right back to the action.

Lots of hilariously stereotypical Florida details permeate the trailer, from alligators and Miami nightclub dance floors to news headlines about bizarre "Leonida Man" stories. There are gorgeous shots of beachfront resorts, airboats traversing hazy swamps, and lines of supercars processing down thoroughfares. Much of the trailer is comprised of different vertical camera orientations with fictional social media overlays. It remains to be seen if this becomes a key gameplay feature, or if it's just aesthetic.

Of course, the other thing we see plenty of is crime. SWAT teams bust down doors, cop cars surround runaways on the highway, and plenty of iron gets flashed. It's the full "GTA" experience from start to finish, though we still don't really know what the gameplay is going to look like in its finished form.

For most of its history, "Grand Theft Auto" has taken place in three locations: San Andreas (a fictionalized version of California), Liberty City (fictionalized New York), and Vice City (fictionalized Miami). After more than a decade spent in and around San Andreas' Los Santos in "GTA 5," we're finally going back to the East Coast again in "GTA 6," which is set in Vice City. However, it looks like the new game will feature a much larger map than just the one city. Just as San Andreas has been expanded over the years, Vice City is expanding beyond its borders to cover more of Leonida — Rockstar's facsimile of Florida. The "GTA 6" trailer shows off plenty of Miami beaches and nightclubs, but it also shows areas mirroring the Everglades and other parts of the state.

Unlike 2002's "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," which took place in 1986, "GTA 6" is set in the modern day. The trailer shows just how important social media will be to the story and world of the game, with many clips of barely-not-Instagram live streams and fake TikTok videos. As for the core plot, it appears to be the same basic format you'd expect from the series — a "started from nothing" story of crime and fortune, this time starring the modern series' first female protagonist, Lucia. She appears to have finally made parole at the start of the story, only to be dragged back into her life of crime.

The main character of "Grand Theft Auto VI" is Lucia, a young woman living in Vice City who, for as-yet unknown reasons, turns (or returns) to a life of crime with her partner. The footage revealed so far indicates that Lucia may start the game in prison. Since she appears to be wearing an ankle monitor in the official poster released by Rockstar, it seems likely that she's breaking the terms of her parole with various shenanigans.

Aside from that, few details have been revealed about Lucia's partner, their relationship, or their ultimate goals. Because "GTA" typically fits neatly into the crime genre, it's not hard to draw some safe assumptions. One shot in the trailer shows Lucia and her partner busting down the door of what looks like a convenience store, wearing bandanas and drawing their guns. "The only way we're gonna get through this is by sticking together," Lucia says in narration. The duo seems laser-focused on rising up through the ranks of the Leonida underworld. Surely, nothing will go wrong — unless the rumors that Lucia and her partner are based on Bonnie and Clyde are true.

Other characters glimpsed in the released footage include various gangs — including a motorbike crew — and a woman who may be Lucia's parole officer. For now, we'll have to wait to meet more of the cast, but fans of the franchise will likely be crossing their fingers for some "GTA 5" character cameos.

Fans know that Rockstar Games is responsible for the "Grand Theft Auto" series, but its specifically Rockstar North, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, that develops the games. Rockstar North assisted in some aspects of the development of "Red Dead Redemption 2," but that game was primarily developed by New York's Rockstar Studios.

It should be noted that Rockstar North has undergone some major changes since the initial release of "Grand Theft Auto 5" in 2013. Following that game, longtime producer and "GTA" lead developer Leslie Benzies took a sabbatical from the company and was later reported to have left entirely. He then filed a suit against his former employer, Rockstar president Sam Houser, alleging that he had been pushed out of the company against his will. He also made claims that Houser had created an inappropriate workplace culture. Legal proceedings dragged on for years, but both parties settled quietly in 2019.

During that process, Benzies was accused by Rockstar of attempting to poach other employees for his new company. It's still hard to say exactly what all went down, as much of the resolution was conducted privately. What we can say is that the makeup of the "GTA 6" team looks at least a little different than the crew that made "GTA 5."