GTA 6 rumour round up: Release date, Vice City return, gameplay, and more

Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two has officially confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still on schedule for its May 26, 2026 release date. The news dropped during a shareholder meeting on September 18, putting a firm pin in the calendar.

That’s less than a year to go and the hype is reaching astronomical levels already. With great hype comes even more leaks and endless speculation, so we do have a solid picture of what to expect. Below we’ve rounded up everything we know about the game, including both official updates and strong rumours.

Release date, platforms, and performance

As mentioned, Rockstar has locked in May 26 as the launch date for GTA 6, though this basically pushes it back from an earlier Fall 2025 target. The studio acknowledged the delay in its announcement, stating it needed the “extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”

The game is slated to be a current-generation exclusive and will launch on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. There is currently no official mention of a PC version yet, which follows Rockstar’s historical trend of releasing console versions first. A former developer even suggested a PC port could take a while. For context, GTA V arrived on PC a full 1.5 years after the console.

That said, console players probably should not expect a buttery-smooth 60 FPS experience. A former Rockstar animator, Mike York, mentioned in a podcast that he expects the game to run at 30 FPS on consoles to ensure visual fidelity and stability. Even the upcoming PS5 Pro may not hit that 60 FPS target, though it will almost certainly feature enhanced visuals.

Protagonists/characters

GTA 6 introduces two protagonists, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, in a story that is giving off serious Bonnie and Clyde vibes. Rockstar’s official website explains the story. Lucia is a Liberty City native who dreams of the “good life.” We meet her fresh out of prison, seeing a life of crime with Jason as her ticket out.

Jason, meanwhile, is described as an ex-army smuggler who grew up around grifters. Their partnership seems to be central to the game’s narrative. A whole host of side characters have also been revealed.

The map

The game marks a return to Vice City, but this is not the 1980s version players remember. GTA 6 is set in a modern-day interpretation within the larger state of Leonida, which Rockstar calls the “biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.” Postcard-style screenshots released by the developer (like the one below) have confirmed several distinct regions.

Beyond the urban sprawl of Vice City, players will explore the touristy Leonida Keys, the wilderness of Mount Kalaga National Park, and the grimy, industrial Port Gellhorn. We have also seen glimpses of Ambrosia, a rural area home to a biker gang, and the swampy wetlands of Grassrivers.

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The story kicks off when an “easy score goes wrong,” throwing Lucia and Jason into a sprawling criminal conspiracy that stretches across the entire state. The two trailers have shown the pair robbing convenience stores and fleeing from the police, suggesting a focus on high-stakes heists. An unverified leak from a source at GameRoll claims the main story will be divided into five chapters and that the classic six-star wanted level will return.

The map itself is rumoured to be massive, potentially twice the size of GTA V’s Los Santos, and may even expand over time with regular post-launch updates, according to a 2022 Bloomberg report.

The gameplay

While official gameplay has not been shown, a massive leak of early development footage in September 2022 gave us a peek at some new mechanics.

The footage revealed new stealth options, showing characters crawling while prone and carrying bodies. It also confirmed the return of the weapon wheel and the Five-Star ‘Wanted’ system, with the Vice City Police Department reportedly having improved AI for tracking the protagonists.