quick answers
GTA 6 FAQ: the earlier GTA games
32 questions answered
32 questions about the earlier GTA games in Grand Theft Auto VI, each answered in a sentence or two and linked to the story it comes from. Every answer says what Rockstar has confirmed and what is still unknown.
Is Tommy Vercetti in GTA 6?
Rockstar has not announced him or any returning character. Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos are the leads. The one Tommy nod on record is a palm-tree weapon pattern in the Vintage Vice City Pack, which outlets such as Kotaku describe as based on his shirt.
From: Could Tommy Vercetti return in GTA 6? Ruby on an old kingpin at about 75, who else could come back, and a fan-made sonHow old would Tommy Vercetti be today?
About 75. Grand Theft Wiki puts his birth around 1951 (the official guide says 1950 or 1951) and he is 35 in Vice City, set in 1986. He would reach 80 around 2030 or 2031. This is a thought experiment: GTA 6 is not a sequel to his story.
From: Could Tommy Vercetti return in GTA 6? Ruby on an old kingpin at about 75, who else could come back, and a fan-made sonWho voiced Tommy Vercetti, and is he available for GTA 6?
Ray Liotta, who died in May 2022 aged 67. Any new Tommy would need a different actor. Rockstar has said nothing about it.
From: Could Tommy Vercetti return in GTA 6? Ruby on an old kingpin at about 75, who else could come back, and a fan-made sonIs Lance Vance alive in GTA 6?
No character from Vice City has been announced for GTA 6. Lance dies at the end of Vice City, so he is the one name that can be ruled out.
From: Could Tommy Vercetti return in GTA 6? Ruby on an old kingpin at about 75, who else could come back, and a fan-made sonIs the Jackson Vercetti for Governor billboard real?
No. It comes from a fan-made image. Rockstar has not shown a Vercetti son or a Vercetti campaign.
From: Could Tommy Vercetti return in GTA 6? Ruby on an old kingpin at about 75, who else could come back, and a fan-made sonIs GTA 6's Vice City the same as the 2002 one?
No. It shares the name, the Miami inspiration and the beachfront, but it is a present-day city in the HD Universe, rebuilt from scratch. The 1986 map, story and characters do not carry over.
From: Vice City 2002 vs 2026: what GTA 6 kept from Tommy Vercetti's city, and what it rebuiltIs GTA 6's Vice City bigger than the 2002 one?
Rockstar has not published a size. The 2002 city was the whole map, about 4.25 square kilometres. GTA 6's Vice City is one city in the state of Leonida, and Rockstar calls it the most detailed street-level city it has built.
From: Vice City 2002 vs 2026: what GTA 6 kept from Tommy Vercetti's city, and what it rebuiltDoes Flash FM come back in GTA 6?
Yes. Flash FM was one of the six stations Rockstar previewed on October 8, 2026, playing pop in the present day. It was one of the 2002 game's nine stations.
From: Vice City 2002 vs 2026: what GTA 6 kept from Tommy Vercetti's city, and what it rebuiltWhich Vice City districts are in both games?
Ocean Beach is the one name Rockstar has confirmed in both. GTA 6 also has Little Cuba, modelled on Little Havana, where the 2002 game had Little Havana itself.
From: Vice City 2002 vs 2026: what GTA 6 kept from Tommy Vercetti's city, and what it rebuiltWhat is the best GTA game?
Vox's ranking puts San Andreas first, GTA V second and Vice City third. That is one person's opinion; the release dates and facts in the piece are checked.
From: Opinion: every Grand Theft Auto ranked, by a man with two days off booked for the next oneHow many GTA games are there?
Mainline: GTA (1997), GTA 2 (1999), GTA III (2001), Vice City (2002), San Andreas (2004), GTA IV (2008), GTA V (2013) and GTA 6 (November 19, 2026). Plus Liberty City Stories (2005), Vice City Stories (2006) and Chinatown Wars (2009), and GTA Online since 2013.
From: Opinion: every Grand Theft Auto ranked, by a man with two days off booked for the next oneWhen did GTA V come out?
September 17, 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360, then PS4 and Xbox One in November 2014, PC in April 2015 and PS5 and Xbox Series in March 2022. GTA Online followed on October 1, 2013.
From: Opinion: every Grand Theft Auto ranked, by a man with two days off booked for the next oneWhat is different in GTA 6 compared to GTA V?
Two playable leads who switch at any time, a whole state rather than one city, six wanted stars that need a witness, police who work from a description, cars with fuel and engine health, a slower day and night cycle, a Criminal Profile that never resets, and no online mode at launch.
From: GTA 6 vs GTA V: everything that has changed, system by systemIs the GTA 6 map bigger than GTA V's?
Yes. Rockstar told Edge that Leonida has nearly as much land as GTA IV, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined. Edge describes it as roughly twice the size of GTA V.
From: GTA 6 vs GTA V: everything that has changed, system by systemHow many wanted stars does GTA 6 have compared to GTA V?
Six, up from GTA V's five. Stars only light when someone witnesses the crime.
From: GTA 6 vs GTA V: everything that has changed, system by systemDoes GTA 6 have three protagonists like GTA V?
No. It has two, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, and you switch between them instantly when together or after a few seconds apart.
From: GTA 6 vs GTA V: everything that has changed, system by systemDoes GTA 6 have GTA Online at launch?
No. Take-Two describes GTA 6 as a single-player experience and Rockstar has announced no online mode. GTA Online followed GTA V by two weeks in 2013.
From: GTA 6 vs GTA V: everything that has changed, system by systemWhich GTA games should I play before GTA 6?
In release order, from November 1: GTA III (2 days), Vice City (3), San Andreas (5), GTA IV (4) and GTA V (4) ends on November 18, the night before launch. The main stories add up to about 124 hours, so the short version is Vice City and GTA V only, about 50 hours.
From: The 18-day GTA replay: Vice City to V before November 19, hours per game, and where to play each one todayHow long does each GTA take to beat?
Player-reported averages on HowLongToBeat: GTA III about 16 hours for the main story, Vice City about 18, San Andreas about 31, GTA IV about 28 and GTA V about 31. Add roughly half again for side content.
From: The 18-day GTA replay: Vice City to V before November 19, hours per game, and where to play each one todayWhere can I play GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas in 2026?
The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition is on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch and PC (Rockstar Launcher, Steam and Epic), and on phones through Netflix Games for subscribers.
From: The 18-day GTA replay: Vice City to V before November 19, hours per game, and where to play each one todayCan I play GTA IV on PS5?
No. GTA IV is on PC through Steam and the Rockstar Store, and on Xbox One and Series X|S through backwards compatibility with the Xbox 360 version. It was never released on PS4 or PS5.
From: The 18-day GTA replay: Vice City to V before November 19, hours per game, and where to play each one todayHow long before GTA 6 should I start replaying the old games?
November 1 if you want all five. Pre-load for GTA 6 opens November 10, so finish the big installs before then and make sure you have about 260 GB free for the new game.
From: The 18-day GTA replay: Vice City to V before November 19, hours per game, and where to play each one todayHow many mainline GTA games are there before GTA 6?
Five in the 3D and HD eras: GTA III (2001), Vice City (2002), San Andreas (2004), GTA IV (2008) and GTA V (2013). GTA 6 arrives November 19, 2026.
From: The road to GTA 6: every mainline Grand Theft Auto in order, and what each one left behindHow long has it been since GTA V?
Thirteen years. GTA V launched in September 2013; GTA VI launches November 19, 2026.
From: The road to GTA 6: every mainline Grand Theft Auto in order, and what each one left behindWhen did GTA: San Andreas come out?
October 26, 2004, on PlayStation 2. It sold about 17.3 million copies on PS2 alone, a record for the platform, and more than 27.5 million across all platforms.
From: San Andreas: the state-sized GTA that Leonida echoes, twenty-two years onWho voices Officer Tenpenny in San Andreas?
Samuel L. Jackson, playing the corrupt C.R.A.S.H. officer who owns CJ from the opening cutscene.
From: San Andreas: the state-sized GTA that Leonida echoes, twenty-two years onWhich GTA had the first radio stations with DJs?
GTA III in 2001, with nine stations including Chatterbox FM hosted by Lazlow. Earlier games had music, but III made the stations a feature.
From: GTA radio through the years: from Chatterbox FM to Leonida's dialIs Flash FM in GTA 6?
Yes. Flash FM, a pop station from the 1986 Vice City, is one of the six stations Rockstar previewed on October 8, 2026.
From: GTA radio through the years: from Chatterbox FM to Leonida's dialWhen did GTA: Vice City come out?
October 27, 2002, on PlayStation 2, set in 1986. It has sold more than 17.5 million copies.
From: Vice City (2002): the neon city GTA 6 goes back to, and what it inventedIs GTA 6 a sequel to Vice City?
No. GTA 6's Vice City is a present-day city in the HD Universe, rebuilt from scratch. The 2002 game's layout, timeline and characters do not carry over.
From: Vice City (2002): the neon city GTA 6 goes back to, and what it inventedWhen did GTA III come out?
October 22, 2001, on PlayStation 2. It has sold more than 14.5 million copies.
From: GTA III at 25: the game that built the open world GTA 6 still lives inWho is the protagonist of GTA III?
Claude, a silent protagonist who never speaks a line, betrayed by his girlfriend Catalina during the opening bank robbery.
From: GTA III at 25: the game that built the open world GTA 6 still lives inMore questions by topic
- Launch and release (138)
- Gameplay (97)
- Characters (74)
- Culture (56)
- Clothes and fashion (52)
- The map and Leonida (50)
- Rockstar Games (48)
- PS5 and Xbox (38)
- Editions and prices (35)
- Hardware and settings (33)
- The earlier GTA games (32)
- Music and radio (29)
- Wildlife and hunting (26)
- Lucia Caminos (25)
- Marketing and tie-ins (22)
- The trailers (21)
- Development (20)
- Pre-load and download (19)
- Vice City (19)
- Platforms and PC (17)
- Jason Duval (17)
- GTA Online (16)
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