GTA VI
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GTA VI⌖ BLUEPRINT
Comparisons

GTA 6 vs GTA 5: Every Difference You Need to Know

Jun 22, 2026·5 min read

Grand Theft Auto V launched in 2013, sold 200+ million copies, and defined the open-world genre for a decade. GTA 6 is built to surpass it — here is the side-by-side breakdown.

Map size and variety

GTA V: 49 sq km, one city (Los Santos) + countryside. GTA 6: ~75-90 sq km, one major city (Vice City) + five distinct regions (Keys, Grassrivers, Mount Kalaga, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia).

Protagonists

GTA V: three protagonists (Michael, Trevor, Franklin), all male. GTA 6: two protagonists (Jason, Lucia), with Lucia as the first major female lead in mainline GTA history.

Tech and visuals

GTA V: PS3-era engine pushed to extreme. GTA 6: full ray-traced global illumination, modernized RAGE engine, advanced pedestrian AI, seamless indoor-outdoor transitions.

What carries over

Dual/multi-protagonist character swap, heist mission structure, in-game social satire, character customization, vehicle modification, GTA Online (eventually). What's gone: the old engine's limitations.

Frequently asked

Is GTA 6 a sequel to GTA 5?
Same franchise, new story and world. Liberty City (GTA IV) and Vice City (2002) are referenced, but the GTA V cast is not present.
Will GTA Online from GTA 5 work in GTA 6?
No — GTA 6 will eventually launch its own online mode. GTA Online on GTA V will continue for some time afterward.
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