GTA 6 vs GTA 5: what is actually different
A comparison built from confirmed GTA VI details and Rockstar’s own footage, with the gaps marked as gaps.
© Rockstar GamesGTA 6 moves from Los Santos to Vice City and the state of Leonida, swaps GTA V’s three protagonists for a couple, Jason and Lucia, and launches single-player only on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Going by outlets’ breakdowns of the Extended Look, some of its systems resemble Red Dead Redemption 2’s (Kotaku). Map size is not yet comparable.
Most comparisons between the two games are written from assumptions. This one sticks to things where both sides are known.
Setting
GTA V is set in Los Santos and Blaine County, the series’ Southern California. GTA VI is set in Vice City and the state of Leonida, its Florida, with six regions profiled by Rockstar, from the Leonida Keys to Mount Kalaga National Park.
Protagonists
GTA V has three protagonists, Michael, Franklin and Trevor, with separate lives that intersect. GTA VI has two, Jason and Lucia, who are a couple and work together. An Extended Look shows control switching between them.
How it plays
Going by An Extended Look, GTA VI has more in common with Red Dead Redemption 2 than with GTA V: a context menu for interacting with people, branded weapons, swapping outfits from a wheel and more involved car theft (as Kotaku and Dexerto describe it).
Online and platforms
GTA V shipped with GTA Online included, and the online mode went live two weeks after launch (October 1, 2013). GTA VI launches single-player only, and Take-Two says GTA Online will carry on. GTA VI is current-generation only: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PS4 or Xbox One version and no PC version announced.
Map size
Not comparable yet. Rockstar has not published dimensions for GTA VI, and the estimates circulating come from trailer footage rather than measurement.
Frequently asked
Is GTA 6 bigger than GTA 5?
Probably, given the state-wide setting, but Rockstar has not published map dimensions for GTA VI, so there is no confirmed answer.
Does GTA 6 have three protagonists like GTA 5?
No. GTA VI has two playable protagonists, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.
Will GTA 5 Online still work after GTA 6 comes out?
Yes. Take-Two has said it will continue to support GTA Online after GTA VI is released.
Players also ask
Sources and verification
- Rockstar Games Announces Pre-Orders for Grand Theft Auto VI — Take-Two Interactive (24 June 2026)
- Only in Leonida — Rockstar Games
- Every cool detail we spotted in the massive 26-minute GTA 6 gameplay trailer — Kotaku (27 August 2026)
Written and maintained by GTA 6 Everything Editorial · Editorial team