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GTA 6 vs GTA 5: The Differences That Matter
Setting, characters, scale and tone. A straight comparison of GTA 6 against GTA 5, with a clear line between confirmed and expected.
GTA 5 is thirteen years old and still one of the best selling games ever made. Comparing it to GTA 6 is useful, as long as the comparison stays honest about which half is confirmed.
Side by side
| Area | GTA 5 | GTA 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | San Andreas, Los Santos and Blaine County | Leonida, with Vice City as the main city |
| Protagonists | Three: Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Two: Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval |
| Era | Early 2010s | Modern day |
| Platforms at launch | PS3 and Xbox 360 | PS5, Xbox Series X and S |
| Online at launch | Arrived two weeks later | Not announced |
What is genuinely new
A female lead in a mainline entry is a first. The pairing of two protagonists as partners, rather than three separate lives that intersect, changes how the story can be structured. Beyond that, most differences are scale rather than kind.
Should you replay GTA 5 first?
Only if you enjoy it. The stories are unconnected, and nothing in GTA 5 is required reading. If you want a warm up, GTA Online teaches the money and property loops that a new online mode is likely to build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GTA 6 a sequel to GTA 5?
Only in numbering. Each mainline GTA tells a self contained story with a new cast and a new setting.
Is the GTA 6 map bigger than GTA 5?
Almost certainly, based on the regions shown, but no official measurement exists. Treat specific multipliers as fan estimates.
How we reviewed this article
- Written by
- Iris LangeNews and database editor
- Reviewed by
- Marek VosGuides editor
Discussion
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