GTA games in order

Updated 5 November 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

The Grand Theft Auto series began with Grand Theft Auto in 1997 and its latest released game is Grand Theft Auto V from 2013. Grand Theft Auto VI is due on 19 November 2026. By story year, the earliest game is London 1961 and the earliest 3D game is Vice City Stories, set in 1984.

What order did the GTA games come out in?

The list below covers the main games, the handheld games and the expansions, sorted by year of first release. Dates and platforms come from Wikipedia's series article and our own game pages. Platforms marked "later" got the game after launch. Compilations and remasters such as Episodes from Liberty City and The Definitive Edition are left out, because they repackage games already listed.

What is the GTA story order?

Rockstar's games sit in separate continuities. Wikipedia groups them into the 2D games, the 3D universe (from GTA III to Vice City Stories) and the HD universe (from GTA IV on). Characters and events only carry over inside one group. The 3D universe runs in this order by in-game year: Vice City Stories, Vice City, San Andreas, Liberty City Stories, GTA Advance and GTA III. The HD universe starts with GTA IV and its two episodes, then moves to GTA V and GTA VI.

The first Grand Theft Auto and GTA 2 are left out of the timeline because their sources do not give a clear in-game year.

Which GTA game should I play first?

Each game tells its own story, so you can start anywhere. If you want to follow the links between games, play the 3D universe in story order, or in release order to see how the series grew. GTA V is the easiest to buy on current hardware.