All GTA Games In Order Of Release Date. Since the debut of the series in 1997, numerous Grand Theft Auto games have been released.GTA, also referred to as the Grand Theft Auto series, has a long and illustrious past. The common themes across a variety of mainstream games, spin-offs, and bundles were leading a life of crime and having virtually complete freedom to play anyway you pleased.
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All GTA Games In Order Of Release Date
Many gamers would readily admit that they spent more time exploring the streets and seeing how far they could irritate the cops than they did in finishing tasks. More importantly, the show became well-known for blurring the line between celebrating crime and humanizing offenders.
The fact that the series’ games are widely available and are still played today, however, is evidence of its standing as a legendary gaming franchise. So let’s go down memory lane and look at every GTA game in chronological sequence.
All GTA Games In Order Of Release Date
- GTA (1997)
- GTA II (1999)
- GTA III (2001)
- GTA: Vice City (2002)
- GTA: Double Pack (2003)
- GTA: San Andreas (2004)
- GTA Advance (2004)
- GTA: Liberty City Stories (2005)
- GTA Trilogy (2005)
- GTA: Vice City Stories (2006)
- GTA IV (2008)
- GTA: Episodes from Liberty City (2009)
- GTA: Chinatown Wars (2009)
- GTA V (2013)
- GTA Online (2013)
- GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021)
- GTA VI (TBD)
GTA (1997)
- GTA London: Main Series PC, PlayStation, and Game Boy Color Expansions (1969–1999), GTA London: Main Series 1961–1999.
- Sold 3 million units
For many reasons, the initial GTA game stood out from the crowd. For starters, San Andreas, Liberty City, and Vice City are three sizable cities that are spread out across the top-down 2D game. These metropolitan locations are imaginary, yet they were influenced by actual places. But GTA’s open-ended design was what really set it apart from other action-adventure games at the time. You might decide to finish the game’s missions or totally deviate from them and engage in other shady acts like carjacking, murdering sprees, and causing mayhem. As a fun fact, GTA was originally intended to be called Race-n-Chase and was in the early stages of development for the Commodore Amiga in 1995. It was often shelved before being renamed Grand Theft Auto and launched on PC in 1997.
GTA II (1999)
- 2 million main series units of the PC, PlayStation,
- Game Boy Color, and Dreamcast were sold.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor’s success, GTA II kept the same level of freedom while adding a number of new features. First off, the game takes place in Anywhere City in 2013, which consists of three large districts. You need to earn enough money to move from one location to another, which may be done in true GTA style in any method you like. Although missions are the most effective strategy to bolster your finances, you may also engage in other activities to make money. The controversial Star system, which dictated the response level of the in-game police, was initially introduced in GTA II, the first game in the series. The safe houses in the game were a little oddity. They were churches with “Jesus Saves” and “U Save” neon signs that occasionally flickered.
GTA III (2001)
- 5 million main series PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox units were sold.
The third installment of the GTA series marked the series’ first advancement. The transition from a top-down perspective to a completely three-dimensional open-world game made by GTA III. The perspective shift alone had a significant impact on the game’s many aspects, such as driving and exploring. The first game in the series to have a plot about seeking revenge and moving up the criminal food chain, it set in Liberty City. A buggy vehicle among the features in GTA III that was deleted. The unfinished model of this vehicle found by data miners in the game’s files. Later, it would revealed in GTA: Vice City as Injection.
GTA: Vice City (2002)
- 5 million main series PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox units were sold.
GTA: Vice City made an effort to improve the franchise by breaking from the numerical titling pattern. It was the first GTA game to include real-life gangs, such the Haitians and bikers, among others. You may now rob businesses like medicine and jewelry stores for the first time, which would help you get more popularity and take money. Fun fact: Jenna Jameson, an actual adult film actress, voices Candy, an in-game pornstar. In addition, actor Ray Liotta, to whom the game pays tribute by naming a few missions after two of his films, provides the voice for the protagonist.
GTA: Double Pack (2003)
- Xbox, PlayStation 2, and other units sold in bundles
GTA III and GTA: Vice City packaged in a two-game bundle that available for the PS2 and Xbox. None of the two titles have received any upgrades or modifications.
GTA San Andreas (2004)
- 5 million units of the main series were sold for the PC, Mac, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
The first game in the series to receive a cross-generational console remaster was GTA: San Andreas. Additionally, it the first GTA game to made for Mac computers. Rockstar made the decision to highlight the game’s narrative and increased the prominence of the cutscenes. In addition to the normal criminal actions, the game also featured other enjoyable pursuits including physical activity, wall climbing, swimming, car-driving other than just cars, and clothing shopping. To top it all off, GTA: San Andreas took things a step further by integrating some paranormal components, such as extraterrestrial sightings and the ghosts of deceased family members.
GTA Advance (2004)
- Game Boy Advance spinoff sold 24 million units.
For the first time in seven years, the franchise went back to its roots with GTA Advance. With a fresh protagonist and a top-down perspective, it set in Liberty City. Unfortunately, the game felt incredibly simple in comparison to even the first two games. But it did introduce some fresh elements, such street racing and rescue service missions.
Liberty City Stories In GTA (2005)
- 11 million units of the Playstation Portable, Playstation 2, and mobile spinoffs were sold.
Liberty City Stories, one of the more popular spin-off games, sometimes seen as a slight upgrade over GTA III. The first game in the series to make an NPC the star of their own program is this one. Despite sharing much of the same framework as GTA III, this spin-off included more inside locations, better camera movement, bikes, and a number of other ancillary elements that had come to define the franchise.
GTA Trilogy (2005)
- Units available in bundles with a PC, a Playstation 2, and an Xbox
Another bundle included the three most well-known GTA games: Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA III.
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Vice City Stories In GTA (2006)
- Six million units of the Playstation 2, Playstation 3, and Playstation Portable spinoffs were sold.
GTA: Vice City Stories, like Liberty City Stories, virtually duplicated the main series title from which it was deriving new content and activities. It took place in the past in 1984, had a new protagonist, and was the final game in the series to make use of the RenderWare engine, which Rockstar had previously used for all 3D GTA titles. The first GTA game to include building elements was Vice City Stories, which let you purchase a store and remodel it.
GTA IV (2008)
- 25 million units sold for the main series on PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and its expansions The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
One of the most well-known among fans and the eastern European protagonist of GTA IV, Niko Bellic, brought the core saga back to Liberty City. It the first GTA game created with the brand-new Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, or RAGE for short. Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 would subsequently run on RAGE. In the same vein as its predecessor, GTA IV emphasizes storytelling and is the first game in the series to include choices that affect the final score. GTA IV was the first game to get an update that replaced some of the radio tracks because of licensing concerns, as a side note.
GTA: Liberty City Episodes (2009)
- 3 million PCs, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 bundles were sold.
Episodes from Liberty City is a collection that offers The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony from Grand Theft Auto IV as a stand-alone game. The former told a tale about a member of a biker gang, while the latter focused on a mafia gang grunt and mostly occurred at night.
Chinatown Wars in GTA (2009)
- 2 million units of the Nintendo DS and Playstation Portable spinoffs were sold.
Chinatown Wars, the second portable-only entry in the GTA series. Was the first game to deviate from a number of standards. One was that its top-down perspective could freely changed to provide different camera perspectives. Additionally, the game’s cell-shaded graphics give it a comic book-inspired look. Chinatown Wars packed with material, over 100 missions, and a variety of GTA mainstay activities while designed for portable devices. A fun fact about the game is that it contains a mission named Dragon Haul Z that makes reference to the well-known anime and manga Dragonball Z. It’s also the first GTA game since GTA III without a helicopter in the logo.
GTA V (2013)
- 140 million units of the Main Series PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S were sold.
GTA V is not just by far the most popular GTA game. But it’s also one of the most popular video games ever. It’s still a relevant game today even though it debuted almost ten years ago. And it has received almost as many remasters and ports as Skyrim. With an estimated 265 million dollar budget, it also regarded as the most expensive game ever produced. Unlike any of its predecessors, it is the first GTA game to have three characters and places a greater emphasis on world-building and narrative. Additionally, it covers a wide range of topics, from the crooked underworld to the friendships formed along the road. The interconnectedness of the stories of the three major protagonists in GTA V. Despite the fact that you could switch between them at any time, was particularly striking. Even though many could argue to the contrary, GTA V’s aesthetics are still in good shape. The game’s level of chaos rivals that of other open-world chaotic games. And surpasses that of any other game in the series. One specific instance that attests to this is the discovery of a frozen aline in the game’s prologue.
GTA Online (2013)
Peak concurrent players on Steam were 220,000 for online spin-off PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
An online add-on for GTA V called GTA Online. Since its debut in 2013, fresh content has consistently added to it using a live-service paradigm. Although GTA Online has no set plot, you can choose to play it either single or cooperatively. You can engage in a variety of criminal actions while playing the game. Including robbery of banks, carjackings, and illegal street racing. There are also missions to accomplish for those seeking some structure. Throughout the year, GTA Online will have a number of events, one of which being the controversial casino event that caused quite a bit of controversy. The Reputation Points mechanism that underpins GTA Online’s progression allows for the advancement of your character’s stats and rank. GTA Online is one of the most played games right now. According to a Rockstar claim that has not been independently verified. GTA Online presently has users from 224 different countries. Which would be a record-breaking figure given that the UN only recognizes 195 countries.
The Definitive Edition of GTA: The Trilogy (2021)
- 10 million units of the bundle PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch were sold.
The Definitive Edition of the GTA Trilogy, yet another bundle that included GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. Sought to restore these three iconic games. Along with transferring the games to contemporary platforms like the Switch. This bundle also enhanced the games’ graphics, lighting, and controls. When the bundle first went up, though, it was plagued by technical issues and low-quality graphics. Gamers and technical experts blamed the launch issues on AI upscaling without further modification. Since then, Rockstar has made an effort to remedy the problems.
GTA VI (TBD)
- First Series
- Probably coming out on PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and
Other than the fact that GTA VI under production, little known about it. Rockstar initially recognized this in 2022, but hasn’t yet officially referred to it as GTA VI. The first trailer for the game, according to several insiders, will debut later this year and will mostly depict gameplay. According to rumors, the game may come back to Vice City.