Grand Theft Auto VI

Story and setting

Grand Theft Auto VI takes place in Leonida, a fictionalised version of Florida. Its centrepiece is Vice City, a neon-lit coastal city of beaches, clubs, highways and criminal opportunity, but the world stretches beyond it into the Leonida Keys, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, Grassrivers and Mount Kalaga National Park. Rockstar has presented these areas as distinct parts of one connected open world rather than separate maps.

Jason Duval has grown up around crooks, served in the Army and worked for drug runners in the Keys. Lucia Caminos has recently left the Leonida Penitentiary after fighting for her family. When an apparently straightforward score goes wrong, the pair become entangled in a conspiracy spanning the state and have to rely on one another to survive. The supporting cast includes local drug runner Brian Heder, bank robber Raul Bautista, Vice City businessman Boobie Ike, record executive Dre’Quan Priest and viral rap duo Real Dimez.

How it plays

This is a single-player, third-person open-world action adventure built around driving, shooting, robberies, exploration and character-led missions. The August 2026 gameplay presentation showed Jason and Lucia switching between one another, including missions where they can split up and approach different parts of the same job. It also showed the pair sharing a safehouse, travelling through the city and responding to events that occur while moving around the world.

The gameplay shown included store robberies, getaway driving, masks and clothing that can be changed before a crime, fan boats crossing wetland areas, kayaks, dirt-bike races and parachuting. Rockstar also appears to have reworked the wanted system: rather than simply displaying the position of every police vehicle, the map can show the area in which officers are searching. These systems were shown in footage, although Rockstar has not published a complete feature list or explained every mechanic in detail.

Trailers and showcases

Trailer 1, released on 4 December 2023, introduced Leonida, Vice City and Lucia, showing her release from prison, her connection with an unnamed male accomplice and a series of robberies, car journeys, parties, beaches and wetlands. It established the modern-day Florida setting and the emphasis on social media, nightlife and a crowded, highly active world.

Trailer 2 arrived on 6 May 2025 and named the leads as Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. It expanded the story setup, showed more of their partnership and introduced several members of the supporting cast, including Cal Hampton, Boobie Ike, Raul Bautista and Brian Heder. On 27 August 2026, Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look provided the first sustained gameplay presentation. Captured entirely from in-game footage on PlayStation 5, it showed driving, combat, mission play, robberies, character switching, boats, side activities and the updated wanted system.

Platforms, editions and UK price

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The UK PlayStation Store lists the Standard Edition at £69.99 and the Ultimate Edition at £89.99. The game is also listed as PS5 Pro Enhanced, although Rockstar has not published detailed performance modes, resolution targets or frame-rate targets.

The Standard Edition is available digitally and as a physical code-in-box version. The box contains no disc: it includes a code for the digital download, with physical copies expected to reach retailers from 12 November to support pre-loading. The Ultimate Edition is digital and adds vehicles, weapons, clothing, safehouse vehicles, vehicle modifications, shops, a tattoo parlour and other bonuses across Jason and Lucia’s story. Digital pre-orders and purchases before 20 November include the Vintage Vice City Pack and one month of GTA+, while physical pre-orders include the pack but not the GTA+ month. Pre-orders are available through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Rockstar Store and select retailers.

What we still don’t know

Rockstar has not announced a PC version or release date, and there is no confirmed Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version. Multiplayer, co-operative play and a new GTA Online service have not been confirmed either: the official launch descriptions currently call Grand Theft Auto VI a single-player experience. The PlayStation listing confirms offline play and one player.

A UK PEGI rating has not been published; the Xbox listing still says Rating Pending. Rockstar has also not confirmed a first-person camera, a full radio soundtrack, the game’s file size, its final performance modes, the length of the campaign or whether any online mode will arrive after launch. Those details should not be treated as settled until Rockstar announces them.

Should you pre-order?

There is no gameplay reason to pre-order before reviews, because the launch game’s online plans, technical targets and PEGI rating are still unclear. The practical reasons to order early are the Vintage Vice City Pack, the digital pre-load from 12 November and, for digital buyers, the included month of GTA+. If you want a physical UK copy, remember that it is a download code in a case rather than a disc, and retailer pricing may differ from the £69.99 digital Standard Edition price.