GTA 6 vs GTA 5: what is different
GTA 6 has two leads instead of three and a map reported at about twice GTA V Reported. It is single-player at launch and costs US$79.99 Store listing. New here? Start here.
Official
Two leads, Leonida and Vice City, single-player at launch.
Reported
Map about twice GTA V; six wanted stars.
Not confirmed
Online mode, PC version, first-person mode.
GTA 6 vs GTA 5 at a glance
| Topic | GTA V (2013) | GTA 6 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Release | 17 September 2013, PS3 and Xbox 360 | Official 19 November 2026, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S |
| Setting | Los Santos and Blaine County, San Andreas | Official Vice City and the state of Leonida, six named regions |
| Playable leads | Three: Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Official Two: Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval |
| Map size | The baseline | Reported About twice GTA V, per Aaron Garbut to Game Informer. Not confirmed No official area. |
| Wanted level | Five stars | Reported Six stars, with a Criminal Profile that tracks your face, clothes and car |
| Online | GTA Online launched about two weeks later, on 1 October 2013 | Official Single-player experience at launch. Not confirmed No online mode announced. |
| US price at launch | US$59.99 | Official US$79.99 Standard, US$99.99 Ultimate |
| PC | Arrived in April 2015 | Not confirmed Not announced. Reported GamesBeat reports January–March 2027. |
| First-person | Added in the 2014 re-release | Reported No full first-person mode at launch, per Rob Nelson |
| Phone and radio | Phone and in-car radio | Official Radio and podcasts also play on foot through earbuds |
| Physical copy | Game on disc | Official The box holds a download code, not a disc |
What is genuinely new, on the record
- Official A female lead: Lucia Caminos, whose bio starts in Leonida Penitentiary. See Lucia.
- Official Music on foot and on-demand podcasts, a series first (Rockstar Newswire, 8 October). See radio.
- Reported Police that learn your description, not just your location. See Criminal Profile and Heat.
- Reported Some story missions wait until you raise money. See economy.
What is not settled
Not confirmed Frame rate beyond the 30 fps Rob Nelson described (Reported), any online mode, a PC date, and a final map area. Comparisons that print square miles or a GTA 6 player count are not from Rockstar.
Quick answers
Is the GTA 6 map bigger than GTA 5?
Reported Yes, about twice as big, according to Rockstar North’s Aaron Garbut in Game Informer. Not confirmed No official area figure.
Does GTA 6 have three characters like GTA 5?
Official No. GTA 6 has two leads, Lucia and Jason.
Will GTA 6 have online like GTA 5?
Official GTA 6 is single-player at launch. Not confirmed Rockstar hasn’t announced an online mode. GTA Online on GTA V continues.
Sources: rockstargames.com/VI · Take-Two, 24 June 2026.
Map size · Characters · GTA 6 Online · First-person · PC · FAQ
New guides: GTA 6 vs RDR2
Change log: desk notes, 14 October 2026
- Desk stamp: 14 October 2026.
- GTA 6 comes out on 19 November 2026, thirteen years after GTA V.
- The table compares what Rockstar has published about GTA 6 with what GTA V shipped with.
- Every GTA 6 line carries a label.
- Where Rockstar hasn’t said, the cell says so.
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