GTA 6 vs GTA 5: the differences Rockstar has confirmed
GTA 6 vs GTA 5: two leads instead of three, Leonida instead of Los Santos, a map about twice as big and no online mode at launch. Every difference, sourced.
Grand Theft Auto VI is bigger than GTA V on both measures Rockstar Games has shared, map size and animations, and different in several other ways. It has two playable leads instead of three, trades Los Santos for the state of Leonida and Vice City, and Rockstar North says its map is roughly twice the size of GTA V's. Unlike GTA V, which shipped with GTA Online, GTA 6 launches as a single-player game.
GTA 6 is out Nov. 19, 2026, 13 years after GTA V's release on Sept. 17, 2013. Here are the differences Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have confirmed, with the source for each.
GTA 6 vs GTA 5 at a glance
| GTA 5 | GTA 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | Sept. 17, 2013 | Nov. 19, 2026 |
| Consoles at launch | PS3 and Xbox 360 | PS5 and Xbox Series X|S |
| Setting | Los Santos and Blaine County | The state of Leonida, home to Vice City |
| Playable leads | Three: Michael, Franklin and Trevor | Two: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos |
| Map | Roughly half the size of GTA 6's | Roughly twice the size of GTA V's |
| Animations | 55,000 | Over 600,000 |
| Online mode | GTA Online, from Oct. 1, 2013 | None at launch |
| Physical copies | On disc | A download code in a box, no disc |
| Sales | Over 230 million units sold in | Not released yet |
Two leads instead of three
GTA V was the first game in the series where "players can jump in and out of the lives of three simultaneously playable lead characters," Rockstar said at its launch: Michael, Franklin and Trevor. GTA 6 has two, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, partners who end up in a criminal conspiracy across Leonida after an easy score goes wrong.
You can still switch. IGN's hands-off preview at Rockstar North reports that you can swap between Jason and Lucia at almost any time, or play together. Our characters guide has everyone else Rockstar has introduced.
Leonida vs Los Santos
Rockstar described GTA V's setting as "a satirical reimagining of modern Southern California," split between the city of Los Santos and the countryside of Blaine County. GTA 6 is set in the state of Leonida, home to Vice City, and Rockstar has named six regions so far: Vice City, Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park.
On size, Aaron Garbut of Rockstar North told Game Informer that Leonida's map is roughly twice the size of GTA V's, IGN reported. Our map guide covers each region.
A busier world
Rockstar told The New York Times that GTA 6 has over 600,000 animations, against 55,000 in GTA V. Other details it has shared about GTA 6:
- Wildlife. Leonida has over 170 animal species, some tracked as Rare, Discoverable or Legendary, according to Game Informer.
- Weather. Tropical storms and hurricanes are part of GTA 6's weather, Game Informer reports.
- Radio and podcasts. Rockstar calls GTA 6's radio its biggest and widest-ranging selection of in-game radio yet, and says GTA 6 is the first GTA with on-demand podcasts. Our radio stations guide has the six stations named so far.
- Police and fast travel. Rob Nelson of Rockstar North told IGN that police respond when a crime is witnessed or an alarm goes off, and that ride-share cars work as fast travel.
Our gameplay features guide lists every system Rockstar has described.
No GTA Online at launch
GTA V came with GTA Online, which launched on Oct. 1, 2013, "free with every copy," Rockstar said. GTA 6 is different: Rockstar calls it a single-player game, and no online mode has been announced. Take-Two says it will keep supporting GTA Online on GTA V. Our online guide has more.
Platforms, price and the box
GTA V launched on PS3 and Xbox 360, then came to PS4 and Xbox One on Nov. 18, 2014, PC on April 14, 2015, and PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 15, 2022. GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only, with no PC version announced; see Is GTA 6 on PC?
GTA 6 costs $79.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition in the US. Our list of prices in 63 countries has what it costs where you live. And where GTA V came on disc, GTA 6's boxed version holds a download code, with no disc in the box.
GTA 5 by the numbers
GTA V has now sold in over 230 million units across three console generations, Take-Two said in its Aug. 7 results. Take-Two hasn't released pre-order numbers for GTA 6, beyond calling the start of pre-orders "exceptional."
Questions readers ask
- Is GTA 6 bigger than GTA 5?
- By Rockstar's account, yes. Aaron Garbut of Rockstar North told Game Informer the map is roughly twice the size of GTA V's, and Rockstar told The New York Times that GTA 6 has over 600,000 animations, against 55,000 in GTA V.
- How many playable characters are in GTA 6 compared with GTA 5?
- Two in GTA 6, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, against three in GTA V: Michael, Franklin and Trevor.
- Does GTA 6 have online like GTA 5?
- Not at launch. GTA 6 is a single-player game, and Take-Two says it will keep supporting GTA Online on GTA V.
- Is GTA 6 set in the same place as GTA 5?
- No. GTA V is set in Los Santos and Blaine County, Rockstar's take on Southern California. GTA 6 is set in the state of Leonida, home to Vice City.
- Is GTA 6 on the same consoles as GTA 5?
- Only the newest ones. GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only, while GTA V is also on PS4, Xbox One and PC. No PC version of GTA 6 has been announced.
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