It is arduous to speak about fashionable video video games with out mentioning the affect of Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar’s iconic crime collection has grown from a controversial PlayStation 1 basic to a widely known cultural juggernaut, with its newest installment, Grand Theft Auto 5. Finest promoting recreation of all time.
Nevertheless, the collection was not an in a single day breakthrough success. Rockstar has been slowly constructing its iconic crime collection over twenty years, creating an ultra-immersive open world for gamers to discover years after launch. Over 16 Grand Theft Auto video games have been launched for the reason that collection started in 1997, so new gamers are in all probability questioning the place to start out.
That will help you get caught, we have listed all GTA video games in chronological order so you possibly can plan your greatest route by means of the timeline of this crime-filled world. Not less than, till I lastly get my arms on GTA 6.
There’s Whole of 16 video games within the Grand Theft Auto collection β 11 on house consoles, 1 on PC, and 4 on cell gadgets. The following Grand Theft Auto recreation, GTA 6, is scheduled to be launched in November 2026.
Earlier than we get into the record, it is value first noting an necessary element concerning Grand Theft Auto’s total continuity. as confirmed by rockstar Again in 2011, the GTA collection was break up into three distinctive timelines: 2D Timeline, 3D Timeline, and HD Timeline. Though the occasions in these timelines could also be comparable and even similar, Rockstar doesn’t take into account all of them to be mutually canon. That is why we break up the sport into their very own universes.
If you wish to begin enjoying Grand Theft Auto earlier than GTA 6 comes out, you would possibly wish to begin with the newest recreation within the collection, GTA 5. Positive, you possibly can return to older video games, however GTA 5 is a masterpiece in its personal proper and could be performed virtually wherever. You may also use GTA On-line for multiplayer.
In any other case, we’re fairly near the end line for GTA 6, so for those who personal a console, do not hesitate to attend one of many largest recreation reveal exhibits of all time.
Grand Theft Auto 2D Timeline
Under we record Grand Theft Auto video games within the 2D universe. These blurbs include gentle spoilers for every recreation, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Grand Theft Auto: London 1961
The second growth launched for the unique Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, is one in every of two GTA releases not launched on PlayStation consoles, with DLC solely obtainable to PC gamers.
This mission pack serves as a prequel to Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, the primary growth for Grand Theft Auto. This pack follows Harold Cartwright, an unknown legal who works his means up the ranks of a London crime household, working for a gangster.
2. Grand Theft Auto: London 1969
The primary growth for the unique Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 marked the collection’ first go to to London.
The story follows an unknown British legal who fights in opposition to numerous legal organizations whereas constructing a legend on the streets of the town. These embrace Harold Cartwright’s gang, which gamers will work with in Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, and two evil crime lords often called the Crisp Twins.
3. Grand Theft Auto
The primary installment within the mainline collection, Grand Theft Auto follows the adventures of an unnamed protagonist who makes his mark within the legal underworld of three places: Liberty Metropolis, San Andreas, and Vice Metropolis.
Set in 1997, the legal journey sees you full financial institution robberies, assassinations, escapes, and enhance your repute whereas serving to numerous evil gangs. Alongside the way in which, they encounter a variety of senior criminals, together with Robert Serragliano, El Bullo, and Uncle Who.
4. Grand Theft Auto 2
The second mainline within the collection, Grand Theft Auto 2, is maybe the collection’ largest departure thus far. Transferring away from the setting of the primary GTA, gamers are taken to a near-future metropolis often called Anyplace Metropolis, which bears no resemblance to every other location within the collection.
The journey follows a legal named Claude Pace, who collaborates with numerous legal organizations round Anyplace Metropolis to make cash and achieve respect. The sport’s place within the timeline is a bit sketchy, primarily as a result of in-game references trace at it happening in each 1999 and 2013. Both means, that is the final recreation within the 2D timeline.
grand theft auto 3d timeline
Under we record the Grand Theft Auto video games within the 3D universe. These blurbs include gentle spoilers for every recreation, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis Tales
The 1984 prequel to Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis Story for the PSP tells the story of Victor Vance, a US soldier who’s dishonorably discharged after being framed by his sergeant.
Having simply left his job, he decides to enter Vice Metropolis’s underworld and shortly turns into the top of a criminal offense household with the assistance of his brother Lance. The 2 embark on an journey to disrupt Vice Metropolis’s crime scenes, assembly and scouting numerous Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis supporting characters alongside the way in which. By the top of the sport, Vic’s story catches up with the start of Vice Metropolis.
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis
The fourth mainline within the collection, Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis, is about in 1986. Two years after “Vice Metropolis Tales”. It follows infamous Liberty Metropolis mobster Tommy Vercetti, who after being launched from jail is distributed to Vice Metropolis to supervise the growth of his boss’s drug commerce.
When a easy drug deal goes awry, Tommy finds himself in bother. After shedding the medication and cash exchanged within the deal, Tommy is given one final probability to make issues proper.
To redeem himself, he dives into Vice Metropolis’s seedy underworld and allies with Rance Vance to combat numerous legal organizations and discover medication and cash stolen from him. As he turns into well-known round Vice Metropolis, he builds a slowly rising legal empire that does not go unnoticed by his former employers.
3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The fifth mainline within the collection, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, tells the story of Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson and the Grove Road Household.
Set in 1992, San Andreas follows CJ as he returns to Los Santos after his mom is killed in a drive-by meant to assassinate his brother. Reunited along with his pals, household, and native gang, the Grove Road Households, CJ is quickly again on this planet of crime, vowing revenge on the gang that killed his mom.
Whereas CJ makes an attempt to rebuild the Grove Road Gang’s former glory, it turns into clear that one thing fishy is happening behind the scenes. Pursued by a crooked cop named Officer Tenpenny, CJ offers with betrayal, corrupt legislation enforcement, and numerous factions vying for management of Los Santos and the neighboring cities of San Fierro and Las Venturas.
4. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty Metropolis Tales
Set in 1998, Liberty Metropolis Tales serves as a prequel to Grand Theft Auto 3 and tells the story of a gangster working for Salvatore Leone named Toni Cipriani. After fleeing to Italy to flee the aftermath of the assassination of a Mafia member, Toni returns to Liberty Metropolis and returns to work for her previous boss.
Alongside the way in which, he meets a number of upper-level mafia contacts and rises by means of the ranks of the ape gang, killing a rival crime lord and aiding Leone’s makes an attempt to achieve political affect over the mayor. The story ends with Salvatore Leone’s household establishing themselves as one of the highly effective legal organizations in Liberty Metropolis, establishing the occasions of Grand Theft Auto 3.
5. Grand Theft Auto Advance
Grand Theft Auto Advance, which happened in 2000, was a prequel to Grand Theft Auto 3, which was launched on the Recreation Boy Advance. The story is a couple of legal named Mike who seeks revenge for the dying of his companion Vinny.
The story begins when Mike and Vinny determine to go away Liberty Metropolis and discover new alternatives elsewhere, taking up jobs for the Mafia in an try to interrupt the impasse and finance their escape. Nevertheless, the plan falls aside when Vinnie is killed by a automobile bomb, prompting Mike to search out and kill the killer. In his quest for revenge, Mike groups up with quite a lot of characters from Grand Theft Auto 3, together with Eightball and Asuka Kasen.
6. Grand Theft Auto 3
The final installment within the timeline, however the first recreation of the 3D period when it comes to launch date, Grand Theft Auto 3 strikes to 2001 and follows Claude, a brand new financial institution robber who’s shot and left for lifeless by his girlfriend Katarina throughout a heist.
Claude survived, however was arrested and sentenced to life in jail. Nevertheless, on the way in which to jail, Claude manages to flee after a Colombian cartel raids his convoy looking for one other prisoner. After fleeing the scene, Claude is shortly drawn into Liberty Metropolis’s legal underworld, working with the mafia, yakuza, and numerous different syndicates.
Claude rises to change into one of many metropolis’s most infamous gangsters, however when his path crosses with Katarina’s and an inevitable battle between the previous couple begins, Claude’s targets shortly change into one in every of revenge.
Grand Theft Auto HD Timeline
Under we record the HD Universe Grand Theft Auto video games. These blurbs include gentle spoilers for every recreation, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Grand Theft Auto 4
The primary recreation of the HD period, Grand Theft Auto 4 takes place in 2008 and follows an Jap European ex-soldier named Niko Bellic as he heads to Liberty Metropolis. Niko involves America to reunite along with his cousin Roman Bellic, who is alleged to have made a fortune after transferring to Liberty Metropolis, however is shocked to study that Roman is definitely penniless, dwelling in a cockroach-infested residence and working a failing enterprise.
It did not take lengthy for Nico to search out work and accumulate money by means of unlawful means. He met and befriended an arms seller named Little Jacob, and paid off Roman’s debt with a Russian mortgage shark named Vlad Glebov. Nevertheless, when Nico learns that Vlad is sleeping with Roman’s girlfriend, he kills him, and a collection of occasions results in him and Roman being uncovered to the Russian mafia.
To outlive, Nico groups up with a Liberty Metropolis crime household, the place he turns into entangled of their politics and turns into one of many metropolis’s most feared criminals. In the meantime, Nico had an ulterior motive, wanting to trace down and kill a former comrade from his military days who had double-crossed him and his crew.
2. Grand Theft Auto: The Misplaced and the Damned
Set in the course of the occasions of Grand Theft Auto 4, The Misplaced and the Damned was the primary growth for GTA 4. It follows Johnny Klebitz, vp of a revered motorbike gang known as The Misplaced MC.
After being launched from an extended rehabilitation facility, the story begins with Billy Grey, the president of The Misplaced MC, returning to the gang and regaining his place as chief. Johnny leads the Misplaced MCs throughout his trip and makes a truce with the gang’s most important rivals, the Angels of Demise. Upon his return, Billy and Johnny start to conflict after Billy orders The Misplaced to interrupt the truce with the Angels of Demise, and a ruthless gang battle begins.
As the 2 gangs combat, Billy begins to guide The Misplaced down a self-destructive path, main the brothers into more and more harmful conditions. As civil battle erupts throughout the group, Johnny is compelled to contemplate the place his loyalties lie.
3. Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Homosexual Tony
The second of GTA 4’s expansions, The Ballad of Homosexual Tony, additionally takes place alongside the core Grand Theft Auto marketing campaign. The story follows bodyguard Luis Lopez as he makes an attempt to avoid wasting the lifetime of his boss, legendary nightclub proprietor Tony Prince.
Tony is a fixture in Liberty Metropolis’s nightlife scene, however his enterprise is failing. To make issues worse, he’s additionally in debt to the Ancelotti crime household, they usually intend to gather the debt. Vowing to assist his boss, Louis tries to assist Tony’s numerous legal acquaintances and repay Tony’s money owed.
The whole lot involves a head with Tony’s harmful plan. Tony obtains tens of millions of {dollars} value of smuggled diamonds and decides to alternate them in a commerce. Nevertheless, the plan fails, and Lewis takes the diamond again and units off on a wild goose chase round Liberty Metropolis to assist Tony’s money owed meet up with him.
4. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
2009’s Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars tells the story of Fang Li, the son of a murdered Triad chief. Fang Li is tasked with flying to Liberty Metropolis to ship an historical sword to his uncle.
After arriving in Liberty Metropolis, Huang was ambushed, and assailants stole his sword and shot and killed Fan. They believed him lifeless and dumped his physique, permitting Fan to flee alive. Reunited along with his uncle, Huang embarks on an journey to trace down the sword and ship it to the Triad. Alongside the way in which, he works with numerous gangs and the FIB and learns that the theft of the sword could have been an inside job.
5. Grand Theft Auto On-line
It is arduous to find out its actual location on the timeline, however Grand Theft Auto On-line started simply earlier than Grand Theft Auto 5, went by means of a decade of updates, and moved right into a interval effectively after the sport’s most important marketing campaign.
The central story is about player-created criminals heading to Los Santos looking for wealth, fame, and status, creating factions, shopping for actual property, and collaborating in legal actions. The story has developed through the years, and the newest replace reimagines the characters from the Franklin period. After the occasions of Grand Theft Auto Vhe orders gamers to help him in his enterprise ventures.
6. Grand Theft Auto 5
Set in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 tells the story of three criminals: Franklin, Michael, and Trevor. After being killed in a financial institution theft within the small city of North Yankton, Michael Townley enters the witness safety program and strikes to the sunny metropolis of Los Santos, the place he lives a lifetime of luxurious along with his household in an enormous mansion.
However he’s lured out of retirement when he meets Franklin Clinton, an formidable petty legal despatched to retrieve Michael’s son’s automobile. Having developed a friendship, Michael begins to mentor Franklin, finally main the 2 to rob a jewellery retailer to repay a neighborhood crime lord. However the act would not go unnoticed.
Outdoors Los Santos, Michael’s former pal and legal affiliate Trevor Phillips watches footage of the theft on the information. When Trevor discovers that his seemingly lifeless companion remains to be alive in Los Santos, he heads to Los Santos with Michael and Franklin and pulls off numerous elaborate heists. However as Trevor’s hostility in direction of Michael’s betrayal begins to drive a wedge between the group, tensions mount and the reality behind their pasts is revealed.
When will GTA 6 be launched?
Take-Two Interactive initially introduced a fall 2025 launch date, however GTA 6 is now scheduled to be launched on November 19, 2026. And Rockstar truly appears fairly assured about that date, opening up pre-orders for the sport in late June. These pre-orders confirmed the existence of separate Customary and Final Editions, in addition to the truth that the sport won’t embrace bodily discs, not less than at launch. Rockstar additionally confirmed that the sport will solely be playable on consoles at launch. However, it has already change into one of many best-selling video games of the 12 months.