GTA Series History: Every Game in Order (1997–2026) and the PC Wait Pattern
✦ Last updated August 30, 2026
Grand Theft Auto is 29 years old, and GTA 6 arrives on November 19, 2026 as the first new mainline entry since 2013. The series has three clean eras, one remaster controversy, and — most usefully for anyone waiting on a PC version — a consistent console-to-PC gap that has never exceeded 19 months.
Last updated: September 10, 2026 · Official sources only · No leaks
The complete chronology
| Year | Title | Era | Platforms at launch | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Grand Theft Auto | Top-down | PC, PS1 | Liberty City, San Andreas, Vice City |
| 1999 | GTA 2 | Top-down | PC, PS1, Dreamcast | Anywhere City |
| 1999 | London 1969 / 1961 | Top-down | PC, PS1 | London |
| 2001 | GTA III | 3D | PS2 | Liberty City |
| 2002 | Vice City | 3D | PS2 | Vice City |
| 2004 | San Andreas | 3D | PS2 | San Andreas |
| 2005 | Liberty City Stories | 3D | PSP | Liberty City |
| 2006 | Vice City Stories | 3D | PSP | Vice City |
| 2008 | GTA IV | HD | PS3, Xbox 360 | Liberty City |
| 2009 | Episodes from Liberty City | HD | PS3, Xbox 360, PC | Liberty City |
| 2009 | Chinatown Wars | Top-down return | DS, PSP | Liberty City |
| 2013 | GTA V | HD | PS3, Xbox 360 | Los Santos & Blaine County |
| 2015 | GTA V (PC) | HD | PC | Los Santos & Blaine County |
| 2021 | Trilogy – The Definitive Edition | Remaster | Multiplatform | III, Vice City, San Andreas |
| 2022 | GTA Online (standalone) | HD | PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Los Santos |
| 2026 | GTA VI | HD | PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Leonida (Vice City) |
That is the spine of the series. The three eras are genuinely different games rather than iterations: the top-down originals are arcade score-attack games, the 3D era invented the modern open-world formula, and the HD era pushed simulation fidelity and, latterly, online persistence.
The pattern that matters: console to PC
This is the most useful table here for anyone tracking GTA 6's PC release, because it is built from completed data rather than speculation.
| Game | Console launch | PC launch | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA III | October 2001 | May 2002 | ~7 months |
| Vice City | October 2002 | May 2003 | ~7 months |
| San Andreas | October 2004 | June 2005 | ~8 months |
| GTA IV | April 2008 | December 2008 | ~8 months |
| Episodes from Liberty City | October 2009 | April 2010 | ~6 months |
| GTA V | September 2013 | April 2015 | 19 months |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | October 2018 | November 2019 | ~13 months |
| GTA VI | November 19, 2026 | Not announced | ? |
Three things to take from that table:
- Every 3D-era GTA reached PC. There is no counter-example in the modern era. The question has never been whether, only when.
- The gap widened sharply after 2013. The 3D-era norm was 6–8 months; GTA V took 19. The reason is structural rather than punitive — GTA Online turned GTA V into a live platform, and Rockstar had less incentive to move players off console quickly.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 landed between the two norms at about 13 months — arguably the best single precedent for GTA 6.
Apply the 13-month precedent and you land in late 2027; apply GTA V's 19 months and you land in mid-2028. Neither is an announcement, which is why our PC release tracker tracks official statements rather than projections.
What Rockstar and Take-Two have actually said about PC
| Source | Position |
|---|---|
| --- | --- |
| Rockstar official | A PC version is confirmed to exist, with no date |
| Take-Two CEO | Console players are Rockstar's core audience; console-first reflects quality and optimisation rather than an exclusivity agreement |
| Take-Two president | Reported as hinting a PC release could come before March 2027 — an official hint, not a commitment |
| Media consensus | Predictions cluster inside 2027 |
| Strongest announcement windows | The Game Awards (December 2026) and the Q3 FY2027 earnings call (February 2027) |
We treat the CEO's public comments as the most reliable signal available: they are on the record and they explain the strategy rather than predicting a date. The president's reported hint is a stronger claim but a weaker source — a transcribed remark rather than a published commitment.
Why each era matters for GTA 6
Each era left a design decision that GTA 6 inherited.
- Top-down (1997–1999) established the crime-sandbox structure: a city, a radio soundtrack, escalating missions, and the first real brand-score advertising in a game.
- The 3D era (2001–2004) invented the modern formula. San Andreas is the direct ancestor of GTA 6's body, fitness and sleep systems, and Vice City is the direct ancestor of the 2026 setting — including the Vintage Vice City Pack pre-order bonus, an explicit 2002 reference.
- The HD era (2008–present) rebuilt cities at simulation scale and, with GTA Online, turned a single-player release into a decade-long platform. GTA V's 225 million-plus lifetime sales come from that compounding.
- GTA 6 (2026) returns to Vice City for the first time since 2002, inside a full state, with two separately playable protagonists — Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.
Sales and scale, for context
| Figure | Value | Source basis |
|---|---|---|
| GTA V lifetime sales | 225 million+ | Publisher-reported |
| GTA series cumulative | 470 million+ | Take-Two, August 2026 earnings call |
| GTA VI NPC animations | 600,000+ | Rockstar developer interview |
| GTA VI launch frame target | 30fps all platforms | Rockstar, August 2026 |
Take-Two has not disclosed a GTA 6 pre-order figure; third-party analyst estimates circulated in August 2026, covered in the pre-order guide.
Where to go next
- GTA series timeline tool — the complete era-by-era timeline
- GTA games compared — settings, protagonists, gaps and scale
- My GTA Chronicle — enter your first year, get your era
- PC release tracker
- Official announcement timeline
FAQ
How many GTA games are there?
Sixteen mainline and major spin-off releases between 1997 and 2026, counting the London expansions, the two PSP stories titles, Chinatown Wars, Episodes from Liberty City, the Trilogy remaster and the standalone GTA Online. GTA 6 is the sixteenth entry in that count.
How long does GTA take to come to PC?
Historically 6 to 19 months. The 3D-era games averaged about 7 months, GTA V took 19, and Red Dead Redemption 2 took about 13.
Will GTA 6 come to PC?
Rockstar has confirmed a PC version exists. No date has been announced. Notably, no 3D-era or HD-era GTA has ever skipped PC.
What was the best-selling GTA?
GTA V, at more than 225 million copies — a figure driven substantially by GTA Online's decade-long run.
Is GTA 6 connected to the older games?
It is set in Vice City and Leonida, which places it in the same fictional continuity, and the Vintage Vice City Pack is a direct 2002 reference. Rockstar has not described GTA 6's story as a sequel to any specific earlier game.
Why did the console-to-PC gap grow after GTA V?
GTA Online made GTA V a persistent platform, reducing the commercial urgency of a fast PC port. Red Dead Redemption 2's shorter gap suggests the delay is driven by project specifics rather than a fixed policy.
GTA6GT is an independent fan-made site and is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Sources: Rockstar Newswire, the official GTA VI site and Rockstar Games on X; Take-Two Interactive investor communications and SEC filings; publisher-reported sales figures; on-record Rockstar developer interviews with the New York Times and Dazed (August 27, 2026). Console-to-PC gaps are calculated from announced release dates.