Rockstar has released well over a dozen Grand Theft Auto titles across three separate fictional universes, which is why the question of order has two valid answers: release order and in-universe chronological order. This guide gives you both, clearly separated, so you can pick whichever suits how you want to play.
You will also find which entries are mainline games, which are handheld spin-offs, and where a newcomer should realistically begin.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Game | Platform | Genre | Why It’s Great | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One | Open-world action | Three protagonists, brilliant heist structure and the series’ best-realised city | 10/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | PC, Xbox 360, PS3 | Open-world action | Niko Bellic’s immigrant story plus Euphoria physics that still feel unmatched | 9/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PC, mobile, consoles | Open-world action-RPG | Three cities, stat progression, planes, and enormous mission variety | 10/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PC, mobile, consoles | Open-world action | 1980s Miami pastiche with the most memorable soundtrack in the series | 9/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto III | PC, mobile, consoles | Open-world action | The game that invented the modern 3D open world as we understand it | 9/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars | DS, PSP, mobile | Top-down action | A genuinely superb handheld return to the overhead camera | 8/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | PSP, PS2, mobile | Open-world action | Toni Cipriani’s prequel filling in Liberty City’s mob history | 8/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | PSP, PS3 | Open-world action | Adds empire-building mechanics to the best-looking version of Vice City | 8/10 |
All GTA games in order of release
This is the order Rockstar actually shipped them, which is the order that shows the series evolving.
Grand Theft Auto (1997) — the original top-down game, set across Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City as separate stages.
Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (1999) — the series’ only expansion pack, and the only entry set outside the United States.
Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (1999) — a smaller free add-on released for PC.
Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999) — still top-down, set in a near-future “Anywhere City” with a gang-respect system.
Grand Theft Auto III (2001) — the leap to 3D, and arguably the most influential game of its decade.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) — Tommy Vercetti’s 1980s empire story.
Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004) — a Game Boy Advance title returning to the overhead view.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) — CJ’s story across an entire state, the largest classic-era map.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) — the first PSP entry.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) — the second PSP entry, starring Vic Vance.
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) — the HD-era reboot of Liberty City.
The Lost and Damned (2009) — biker-gang episodic expansion for GTA IV.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009) — top-down handheld entry for DS and PSP.
The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009) — the second GTA IV episode, and the flashiest.
Grand Theft Auto V (2013) — three protagonists in Los Santos and Blaine County.
Grand Theft Auto Online (2013) — launched alongside V and continuously expanded ever since.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021) — remasters of III, Vice City and San Andreas.
Grand Theft Auto VI — announced in December 2023, set in the state of Leonida and starring Jason and Lucia, with a release currently scheduled for 19 November 2026.
Mainline entries versus handheld spin-offs
Not every title in the list carries equal weight. The mainline numbered games are GTA, GTA 2, III, IV, V and the forthcoming VI, with Vice City and San Andreas treated as full mainline releases despite lacking numbers.
The handheld-first titles, GTA Advance, Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories and Chinatown Wars, are smaller in scope but not lesser in quality. Chinatown Wars in particular is widely considered one of the sharpest games Rockstar has ever made, and it later reached mobile platforms where a far larger audience found it.
Expansions and episodes explained
Three releases are add-ons rather than standalone games. London 1969 and London 1961 expand the original 1997 title, and remain the only entries set outside a fictionalised United States. The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony expand GTA IV, and were later bundled as Episodes from Liberty City, which runs without the base game.
These episodes matter to the ordering question because they deliberately overlap with GTA IV‘s timeline. Scenes you witness from Niko’s perspective recur from Johnny Klebitz’s and Luis Lopez’s, which is the closest the series has come to genuine narrative interlocking.
The three universes that explain the ordering confusion
Rockstar does not treat the series as one continuous timeline. There are three distinct continuities, and characters do not cross between them even when names repeat.
The 2D universe covers GTA, both London expansions and GTA 2. The 3D universe covers III, Vice City, San Andreas, Advance, Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories. The HD universe covers IV, both episodes, Chinatown Wars, V and Online. That is why the Liberty City of III and the Liberty City of IV share a name but nothing else.
All GTA games in order of internal chronology
Within the 2D universe: London 1961, then London 1969, then Grand Theft Auto (1997), then GTA 2, which is set in an unspecified near future.
Within the 3D universe: Vice City Stories (1984), Vice City (1986), San Andreas (1992), Liberty City Stories (1998), GTA Advance (2000), then GTA III (2001).
Within the HD universe: GTA IV, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony all take place across 2008 and overlap deliberately, followed by Chinatown Wars (2009) and then GTA V (2013).
Where a newcomer should actually start
Start with GTA V. It is the most accessible, the best-looking, the easiest to buy on current hardware, and it requires no prior knowledge. From there, work backwards to GTA IV if you want the strongest single narrative, or to San Andreas if you want the most mechanically ambitious classic entry.
Only the three episodic pairings truly benefit from being played in order, since The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony intersect with GTA IV‘s plot at specific moments. Everything else stands alone.
Playing the older entries on modern hardware
The pre-HD games run on virtually anything, but they were built for 4:3 displays and 30 frames per second, and some have frame-rate-linked physics quirks that a modern gaming monitor buying guide will help you plan around when choosing refresh rates. The classic top-down titles are best played with a pad, and a gaming controller buying guide covers which layouts handle their tank-style steering.
For the HD-era titles, the calculus flips. GTA IV is notoriously CPU-bound, while GTA V‘s enhanced editions genuinely benefit from modern hardware, so a graphics card buying guide is the sensible starting point. Streaming pop-in across Los Santos is storage-limited rather than GPU-limited, which is where an NVMe SSD buying guide becomes relevant. Anyone planning to spend serious time in GTA Online should also read a gaming headset buying guide, and PC players doing precision aiming in Freemode should look at a gaming mouse buying guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct way to play all GTA games in order?
Release order shows the series evolving technically and is the most rewarding for long-term fans. Chronological order only matters within each of the three separate universes, since characters and cities never cross between the 2D, 3D and HD continuities despite sharing names.
How many Grand Theft Auto games are there in total?
Counting mainline titles, handheld entries, expansions and episodic content, there are roughly seventeen releases before Grand Theft Auto VI. That figure includes two London expansions, three handheld-first games, two GTA IV episodes, and the 2021 remastered trilogy collection.
Do I need to play earlier games before Grand Theft Auto VI?
No. Rockstar designs each mainline entry as a standalone story in a fresh continuity, so GTA VI requires no prior knowledge. Playing GTA V first simply helps you understand the studio’s current design language, mission structure and satirical tone.
Which GTA game is the best starting point today?
Grand Theft Auto V is the clearest choice because it runs on all current platforms, has modern controls and accessibility options, and needs no series background. Follow it with GTA IV for narrative depth or San Andreas for the most ambitious classic-era design.
