GTA Timeline

The GTA timeline is split into separate continuities, usually called the 2D, 3D and HD universes, and GTA 6 is expected to continue the HD universe that began with GTA IV and carried on through GTA V. Rockstar has not formally stated where GTA VI sits, so that last part is our best reading.

Each universe has its own version of the same cities. That is why there can be several Liberty Cities, several Los Santoses and now a third major Vice City.

What is the GTA 2D universe?

The 2D universe covers the original top-down games: Grand Theft Auto (1997), its London expansions and GTA 2 (1999). These games introduced Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City as cities, but the stories were light and the connections between games were loose.

What is the GTA 3D universe?

The 3D universe began with GTA III in 2001 and includes:

• GTA III (2001), set in Liberty City in 2001.
• GTA Vice City (2002), set in 1986.
• GTA San Andreas (2004), set in 1992.
• GTA Advance (2004), set in Liberty City a year before GTA III.
• GTA Liberty City Stories (2005), set in 1998.
• GTA Vice City Stories (2006), set in 1984.

These games share characters and events. For example, characters from Vice City show up again in San Andreas, and Liberty City Stories fills in the backstory of GTA III. See Vice City history for the Vice City side of this era.

What is the GTA HD universe?

The HD universe started with GTA IV in 2008. It rebuilt the cities from scratch with a more grounded tone. It includes:

• GTA IV (2008) and its episodes The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
• GTA Chinatown Wars (2009).
• GTA V (2013), set in Los Santos and Blaine County.
• GTA Online, which shares GTA V's world and continues to this day.

Characters and brands carry between these games, and GTA V includes several references to events in Liberty City.

Where does GTA 6 fit on the timeline?

GTA 6 is set in the present day in Leonida, with Vice City as its main city. Everything shown so far, including the realistic tone, the modern social media satire and the HD-era brand designs, points to the HD universe.

That would make this the first HD-era Vice City. It also raises the chance of nods to Liberty City or Los Santos, which we track on our easter eggs page. For a quick tour of every lead across these eras, see GTA protagonists.

FAQ

Is GTA 6 in the same universe as GTA 5?

Rockstar has not confirmed it, but the tone, brands and present-day setting strongly suggest GTA 6 is part of the HD universe with GTA 5.

Is GTA 6 a sequel to GTA Vice City?

No. It is a new story in a new version of Vice City. The 2002 game belongs to the separate 3D universe.

When is GTA 6 set?

GTA 6 is set in the present day, in the modern state of Leonida.

Do the GTA universes connect?

Not directly. Each universe is its own continuity, although Rockstar often reuses names, brands and in-jokes across them.