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“Grand Theft Auto VI” is finally released. This is the first new numbered work in 13 years, and it has a world that reflects America’s criminal history and Florida’s unique culture. Here are 10 topics you should know before playing, from the advanced auto theft and robbery systems to Rockstar Games’ new development structure to the technical specifications revealed just before the game’s release.
The latest work in the series is released for the first time in 13 years
November 19, 2026, Rockstar Games“Grand Theft Auto VI”(PS5 / XBOX Series X|S hereafter referred to as GTA VI) is finally released. It’s been 13 years since the previous game “Grand Theft Auto V” released in 2013. In the game industry, it is rare to find a game that continues to garner fan expectations for such a long period of time, and whose release itself becomes a global event.
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The roots of the series date back to “Grand Theft Auto,” a top-down action game released by British company DMA Design in 1997. At the time, the film was controversial because of its radical content, in which a person steals a car and commits a series of crimes while being chased by the police. However, even the developers may not have expected it to become the grand open-world game it is today. Later, in 2001, “Grand Theft Auto III” was released in 3D, establishing a unique position as a series that depicts American society with plenty of irony.
“GTA VI” is the latest installment in the “GTA” series, which has sold over 480 million copies, and tells the story of a male and female criminal couple, Jason Duvall and Lucia Caminos, set in the fictional state of Leonida, which is modeled after the state of Florida. Vice City, famous for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,” has been reborn from a nostalgic 1980s cityscape to a modern city where social media and smartphones dominate people’s lives.
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Of course, 13 years has brought about major changes to the game itself. The technology that Rockstar Games has cultivated in games such as “Red Dead Redemption 2” has been incorporated into a variety of areas, from the behavior of people walking on the streets to police investigations, car theft, and the handling of money obtained from robberies. It seems that we no longer live in an era where people can wave guns around on the streets and no one cares.
Now that there are only a few days left until the game’s release, there are things players should prepare for. If you’ve been away from the GTA series for a while, it might be a good idea to pull out the old games and get your hands dirty. Don’t forget to download in advance to avoid having to download huge amounts of game data on the day of release.
And most importantly, make sure you have enough vacation time. If you plan to stay in your room for a few days and monopolize the TV in the living room, it’s a good idea to explain the situation to your family in advance. If you end up being wanted in your household before you even start the game, your life in Vice City will be ruined.
Including such pre-release preparations, this time we will introduce 10 topics you should know before playing “GTA VI”. From America’s criminal history to Florida’s unique culture to the advanced game system, knowing everything about it may make your life in Vice City just a little more enjoyable.
1. Bonnie and Clyde. Why Americans are attracted to criminal couples
Jason and Lucia, the protagonists of GTA VI, may remind Americans of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, a real-life criminal couple from the 1930s. After repeating bank robberies and car thefts throughout the United States during the Great Depression, they were ambushed by police in Louisiana in 1934 and killed by bullets.
One of the reasons why they are still talked about to this day is the 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde.” The depiction of these two as criminals yet rebels seeking freedom had a great influence on American film culture and anti-establishment youth culture.
In “GTA VI,” it is up to the player to maintain the romantic relationship between Jason and Lucia, and they can deepen their bond through dates and daily life. Even if their romantic relationship fades, they continue to work together as partners in crime, but the relationship between the two will also affect the course of the story. It may be difficult to decide whether to pursue a single-minded love life between bank robberies, or to play the role of a “hot coffee” type of free spirit when it comes to love.
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2. Why did Miami become “Vice City”?
The model for Vice City, the setting for GTA VI, is Miami, Florida. After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, many Cubans crossed the sea, and with the addition of immigrants from Haiti and South America, the city developed into a unique city with strong Spanish and Caribbean culture. On the other hand, in the 1980s, it became a hub for cocaine smuggling from South America, and was also known as a crime city with constant conflicts between drug organizations.
What made Miami famous around the world was the 1983 movie “Scarface” and the television drama “Miami Vice,” which began the following year in 1984. The latter was a big hit, depicting the exploits of an undercover detective played by Don Johnson, complete with pastel-colored cityscapes, luxury sports cars, and hit songs of the time.
Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser also cited 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as his most direct influence. “Vice” is a word that means vice and moral crime, and it was a perfect name for Miami, which has dual characteristics as a glamorous resort area and a crime city.
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3. Who is Florida Man? Weird people whose reality overtakes the game
Some people may have looked at the strange people in the GTA VI trailer and thought it was all an exaggeration. However, many unusual incidents have been reported in Florida that are just as bad as the game, and the meme “Florida Man” has been popular on the Internet for more than a decade.
A typical example is Lawrence Sullivan, known as the “Florida Joker,” who has tattoos all over his face. He became famous for his 2017 arrest photo, and when a prisoner who looked exactly like him appeared in a trailer, he demanded up to $10 million in compensation from Rockstar Games and even threatened to file a lawsuit. Sullivan subsequently withdrew his intention to sue and now requested that the company use him as a voice actor for the game, but the outcome of that request is unknown. I would like to check whether his request is realized after the release.
Additionally, the woman wearing glasses and holding a hammer in both hands and yelling appears to be a reenactment of an actual riot taken in Los Angeles in 2020. Strange events not only in Florida but all over the United States are captured in SNS-style videos. The “GTA” series has been a satire of American society, but when reality becomes this bizarre, there may not even be a need to dramatize it anymore.
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4. Is the Japanese version 1.2GB smaller? Curious about the fate of expression regulations
Just before the game’s release, some interesting information has surfaced among Japanese GTA VI fans. A person who compared the distribution data of the Xbox version reported that the build for overseas is 209.86GB, while the build for Japan is 208.74GB, which is a 1.12GB difference in capacity. If this is true, it means that the corresponding data has been replaced in the Japanese version.
One reason that has been talked about is Japan’s unique restrictions on expression. In the past GTA series, there have been instances where changes have been made to sexual depictions and violence compared to overseas versions, and it is no wonder that there is talk of similar measures being taken this time as well.
However, Rockstar Games has not explained the reason for the difference in capacity, and it is possible that the difference is due to language data or the structure of the distribution package. In the first place, it is not possible to judge whether there are regulations based only on the difference in capacity. Just because it’s CERO Z-rated doesn’t mean it’ll have the same content as the overseas version, so Japanese players will want to wait for verification after release.
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5. Why are GTA radio stations so beloved?
One of the essential elements of the “GTA” series is the radio broadcast that plays when you get into a car. In 2002’s “Vice City,” 1980s pop and rock music harmonized exquisitely with the tropical cityscape, playing an important role in experiencing America at the time. One of the unique charms of the series is that it includes not only the music, but also the DJ’s playful talk and fictional advertisements.
The focus on music remains strong this time as well, with French electronic duo Justice providing the original score, and the new video released on November 10 featuring Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo’s “Blood in Your Eyes.”
This song is included in the official soundtrack “Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album” and gives you a glimpse of the music that colors modern Vice City. Forget about completing missions and just drive around the city at night while listening to the radio. It’s a very GTA-like way to enjoy it.
Tove Lo – Blood In Your Eyes (From Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album)
6. Car thieves aren’t easy either. Advanced theft techniques
Many people may have forgotten that “Grand Theft Auto,” which is also the name of the series, is a legal term for car theft in the United States, and car theft was a fundamental element of the series from the beginning. In previous games, you could simply approach a car parked on the side of the road and press a button to get into it, but in GTA VI, the act of stealing a car itself has evolved into more complex gameplay.
Rockstar North’s Rob Nelson said that older cars can be pried open with special tools, but luxury cars require a key cloner to duplicate the information in the electronic key. Furthermore, some cars are equipped with anti-theft alarms and GPS trackers, so even if you successfully steal your car, there is a risk that your location will be tracked by the police. There is also the ability to scan vehicles to check their value and security, and you can even sell stolen cars for a profit. However, if you want to avoid the hassle, there is still the old method of stealing a car from a driver.
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7. Unpredictable reactions from NPCs that don’t make you feel safe even when you point a gun at them
In previous GTA games, even if you took out a gun in the street, people around you often didn’t care unless you actually aimed it at someone. However, in “GTA VI,” the reactions of those around you to the player’s actions have become more complex, such as when a person witnesses a crime and reports it to the police, or when an alarm system is activated, a wanted person begins. The police will also be able to ascertain the vehicle and clothing used in the crime, so it will be important to change cars and change clothes during the escape.
Even more interesting is the system called “Criminal Profile,” which records a player’s criminal tendencies. If you repeat acts that use more violence than necessary, your reputation will affect the reactions of the people in the town and the development of the story. According to Rob Nelson, this time there are dangerous people other than the police, and it is no longer a world where players can go on a unilateral rampage. Just because you have a gun doesn’t mean everyone will obey you. I would like to pay attention to the changes in this game system.
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8. Even robbers have their tricks. From breaking safes to converting stolen goods into cash
In GTA VI, making money through crime will be more important than ever. In addition to stealing cash from store registers, there are a variety of methods available, including sneaking into gang strongholds and stealing money and drugs, and raiding jewelry stores and small banks. By disabling security cameras and alarm devices in advance, it is possible to complete the crime without anyone noticing.
In addition, stolen drugs and stolen cars can be taken to stolen goods dealers and exchanged for cash, and a system has also been introduced in which the cash can be deposited into a bank account. It also makes sense to keep the proceeds of crime safe, as there is a risk of losing your cash if you are arrested by the police or killed in a gunfight. There are rumors that blowing up the safe will damage the loot, and that dirty cash will need to be laundered, but the details are unclear.
This probably means that the entire game cycle is focused on everything from preparing for a crime to escaping and converting money into cash.
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9. Does the first new game in 13 years herald a new era for Rockstar Games, which now employs 4,700 people?
“GTA VI”, the first release in 13 years since “GTA V”, is also a major turning point for Rockstar Games. As introduced in episode 644 of this series, Leslie Benzies, who led the development, left the company in 2016, and in 2020, one of the founders, Dan Houser, who wrote the script for the series, also left.
Currently, it is a joint system where Rob Nelson, Aaron Garbut, and Phil Hooker serve as development managers. According to an interview with Bloomberg, Rockstar’s workforce has doubled from about 2,400 in 2018 to about 4,700, and it has even opened a new studio solely responsible for NPC production.
Although the former core players have left, Sam Houser, one of the co-founder brothers and executive producer who has determined the worldview and music direction, is still alive and well, and is said to be personally inspecting the game at each milestone in the development of GTA VI and instructing minor corrections. As he leads a development organization that has grown to several thousand people, how far will he be able to develop the world of “GTA” built by his former friends? “GTA VI” will provide the answer.
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10. 30fps selection. Rockstar Games pursued the density of the world
On November 10, just before the game’s release, Rockstar Games officially announced that the home game console version of “GTA VI” will run at 30fps. The basic goal remains the same for the PS5 Pro, and the same model will feature improvements in image quality, such as higher definition with PSSR and ray-tracing shadows. Some players may regret this choice in the gaming industry in recent years, where smooth movement at 60fps or higher is emphasized.
However, Rockstar Games’ official statement emphasized maintaining the density and visual reality of Leonida’s vast world and its people (see related article). Considering the behavior of NPCs walking around the city, the complicated police investigations, and the freedom to enter numerous facilities, it’s probably not possible to allocate all of the processing power to improving the frame rate.
It’s been 25 years since 2001’s “Grand Theft Auto III” opened up a new world of 3D open worlds. What Rockstar Games was aiming for with this work may not be just a beautiful city, but a world where you can feel that people are living there.
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Author introduction: Kaito Okutani
4Gamer foreign correspondent. A game journalist living in San Francisco, this series, “Kaito Okutani’s Access Accepted,” is the longest running article on 4Gamer since its inception in 2004. He has many acquaintances in the Western game industry, and continues to monitor the current state of the Western game industry through reporting on game events.
