Grand Theft Auto or GTA game series came into existence back in 1997. The franchise has certainly come a long way with the game developers persistently enhancing the gameplay experience and graphics quality. The consistent hard work of the development team has made the GTA series an evergreen name in the world of Action-Adventure open-world games.
There is hardly any gamer in the world who hasn’t played GTA at least once. Some players enjoy taking on hardcore game missions while some simply free-roam around and explore the game design aimlessly. The game provides versatile game modes that help the players clear off their heads after a long day.
Are you a GTA fan or enthusiast too? And have you been wondering what it would be like to play All GTA Games in Order? Or simply just wanting to know the GTA series in order. In either case, you have landed in the right place, you can find all the Grand Theft Auto Games in Order of release in this article. So without any delay let’s jump onto the first game
Table of Contents
Grand Theft Auto
| Release Date | November 28, 1997 |
| Developer(s) | DMA Design |
| Expansion Packs | 1. GTA London 1969 2. GTA London 1961 |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation, MS-DOS, Game Boy |
The legendary GTA series began back in 1997 with the first title, Grand Theft Auto. Initially, the game was about to be named Race n Chase but somehow the title didn’t agree with the development team for long. The designers were initially planning on having a cop chasing down criminals as the central concept of the game. However, soon enough they realized it would be a lot more interesting to reverse the role of the protagonist.
GTA was one of the earliest games to have introduced an open-world environment. What set the game apart from its competitors was that the players were given the liberty to choose how violently or peacefully they want to play the game. The game maps & designs were quite impressive for a 2D game. The game consists of the maps of Liberty City, Vice City as well as San Andreas.
Grand Theft Auto II
| Release Date | September 30, 1999 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Lincoln, Rockstar North |
| Platforms | Dreamcast, Game Boy, MS Windows, PlayStation |
Grand Theft Auto 2 managed to follow in the footsteps of GTA 1 by gathering success worldwide. However, unlike the first installment of the game, GTA 2 did receive mixed reviews from the audience and critics. The game concept was similar to its predecessor while a few new features were introduced such save game option, the introduction of a syndicate system, etc.
Despite the addition of new features and futuristic city design (Anywhere City which is representing the 2013 timeline) GTA 2 was more or less the same as its predecessor. The graphics were basically the same and this disappointed the expectations of many fans. Now let us move on to the next game that took the franchise to new heights.
Grand Theft Auto III
| Release Date | October 22, 2001 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar North |
| Platforms | PS 2, PS 4, MS Windows, Android, Mac OS, Fire OS, iOS |
The next game in the GTA series is Grand Theft Auto III. This game has a brief storyline element that has actually made quite a positive impact on the gameplay experience. Players are given control of the protagonist named Claude, who is deceived by his girlfriend and set to get arrested after a bank robbery. The story depicts Claude’s aggressive journey to seek revenge on his girlfriend.
The strong violent and sexual themes in GTA 3 landed it many controversies. However, ultimately this benefited the game’s popularity, giving its competitors a long run for their money. The best part is that there is a mobile version of GTA 3 as well.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
| Release Date | October 29, 2002 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar North |
| Platforms | PS 2, Windows, Android, Mac OS X, iOS, Fire OS, Xbox |
The next game on the list is GTA: Vice City. While being a huge success the controversial game invited several lawsuits mainly due to the depiction of racial groups in an insensitive light. The storyline of this game takes place in 1986 in Miami and features Tommy Vercetti as the main protagonist. Tommy was part of a drug deal that goes south at the beginning of the game and Tommy’s main motive is to find the missing drugs and the people who stole it
The gameplay of this game was a major improvement over the previous game as players now could drive helicopters and bikes. But one thing which was disappointing to the gamers was that the ability to swim in the game was not present. Overall the game was a huge success for Rockstar Games.
Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack
| Release Date | October 21, 2003 |
| Developer(s) | North, Neo Software Produktions Gm |
| Platforms | Xbox, PS 2 |
Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack is basically a compilation pack that consists of both GTA 3 as well as GTA: Vice City. The gameplay experience is slightly enhanced from the individual counterparts of this bundle pack. This version was appreciated by the fans due to its significantly better character design and enticing audio. There isn’t much to discuss as the storyline is exactly the same.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
| Release Date | October 26, 2004 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar North |
| Platforms | PS 2, PS 3, PS 4, MS Windows, Android, iOS, Xbox, Xbox 360, Mac OS, Fire OS, Meta Quest 2, Windows Phone, Mac OS |
This entry in the GTA franchise is also considered one of the best GTA games of all time. The storyline of this game features Carl Johnson who returns back to Los Santos after the news of his mother being murdered breaks out to him. Carl then works with his childhood friends to bring his hood back on a good level.
GTA: San Andreas was quite experimental in terms of the gameplay activities. Not only did this version introduce more daily life routines in the game but also some spooky elements such as spirits and aliens. Apart from the experimental aspect, the game controls were significantly smoother and the storyline evolved even more than in the previous installments.
Grand Theft Auto Advance
| Release Date | October 26, 2004 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Games, Digital Eclipse, Backbone Entertainment |
| Platforms | Android, MS Windows, Game Boy Advance, iOS, Mac OS |
The next game which was released closely after the San Andreas was Grand Theft Auto Advance. Unlike the name suggesting otherwise, the game was actually a spin-off version of the vintage GTA games. The graphics are slightly more enhanced than the initial two games of the series. The developers have added more missions in an attempt to make the game spicier.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
| Release Date | October 24, 2005 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North |
| Platforms | PS Portable, PS 2, Android, iOS, Fire OS |
Another spin-off that also serves as the prequel to GTA 3 is the GTA: Liberty City Stories. This game elaborates on the story of Toni Cipriani who was an NPC in GTA 3. The storyline of Toni can be explored by single-player gameplay or even multiplayer mode with a maximum of 6 players. The multiplayer feature, however, is limited to PSP only.
Grand Theft Auto Trilogy
| Release Date | November 4, 2005 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Games, Grove Street Games, Rockstar North |
| Platforms | PS 4, PS 5, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, MS Windows |
GTA Trilogy is yet another compilation pack that was released on multiple platforms. This package delivers the combined magic of GTA 3, GTA: Vice City as well as GTA: San Andreas under a single game.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
| Release Date | October 31, 2006 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North |
| Platforms | Sony PSP, PS Portable, PS 2, PS 3 |
GTA: Vice City Stories is another spin-off version of the series which acts as a prequel to GTA: Vice City. The game depicts the story of an NPC from Vice City, Victor Vance. The overall gameplay of this version is pretty much the same as its immediate predecessors. However, this version introduced an empire-building system for the players to deliver a more satisfying experience.
Grand Theft Auto IV
| Release Date | April 29, 2008 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Toronto, Rockstar North |
| Expansion Packs | 1. The Lost & the Damned 2. The Ballad of Gay Tony |
| Platforms | PS 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, MS Windows |
GTA 4 is one of the most popular GTA games of all time. This game depicts the story of Niko Bellic in Liberty City. Niko is trying to move on from his old life where he was an integral part of the Eastern European war. This game has experimented with the game operation by introducing RPG elements where the choices made by the player govern the immediate sequential events. This is the first GTA game to be made using RAGE Engine which has significantly uplifted the specs of the game.
The game released two expansion packs, The Lost & the damned depicts the storyline of a protagonist who is involved in a biker gang. The Ballad of the Gay Tony depicts a completely different storyline of a gang operation.
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
| Release Date | October 29, 2009 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Toronto |
| Platforms | PS 3, MS Windows, Xbox 360 |
Next up on our list is another compilation pack, GTA: Episodes from Liberty City. This game features both the expansion packs of GTA 4 (The Lost and the Damned & The Ballad of Gay Tony).
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
| Release Date | March 17, 2009 |
| Developer(s) | War Drum Studios, Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North |
| Platforms | PS Portable, Android, iOS, Fire OS, Nintendo DS |
This game is an interesting & innovative take by the developers. The GTA Chinatown Wars features 100+ missions. The game visuals carry from the previous game installments of GTA and have more of a cartoonish aesthetic to them.
Grand Theft Auto V
| Release Date | September 17, 2013 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar North, Rockstar Games |
| Platforms | PS 3, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X|S, MS Windows |
GTA 5 is hands down the best game in the franchise so far. It is a huge AAA game that has delivered remarkably in the realm of Action-Adventure video games. The game has exceptional narration and the world-building concept is just on a whole other league. There are 3 protagonists who have been brilliantly depicted in this open-world game. The graphics & visuals are vivid and realistic still giving GTA 5 relevance in the current era of gaming.
Grand Theft Auto Online
| Release Date | October 1, 2013 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Games |
| Platforms | PS 3, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox 360, MS Windows |
GTA Online is an online game that can be played in solo as well as co-op modes. The player earns reputation points by beating the challenges and tasks in this online game. These points are the key factor in marking the world rank of the players. This game is quite addictive and thoroughly enjoyed by GTA fans across the globe.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy (Definitive Edition)
| Release Date | November 11, 2021 |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Games, Rockstar North, Grove Street Games |
| Platforms | PS 4, PS 5, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, MS Windows |
This game is basically a remastered version of the pre-existing GTA 3, GTA: Vice City & GTA: San Andreas. Fans were really grateful for the release of this version on multiple platforms. The much-needed improvements in the graphics and controls of these 3 versions were made as the games were merged together.
Grand Theft Auto VI
| Year of Game Release | To be out soon |
| Platforms Speculations | PS 5, Xbox Series X|S |
Rockstar Studios did confirm the game development of an upcoming GTA game but we don’t know what the title will exactly be called yet. We will make sure to update more about the upcoming GTA 6 game in this section as soon as we find any leaks from the studios. If you wanna know more information about GTA VI then don’t forget to check out GTA VI Release Date. Now we will answer some FAQs down below for you guys
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GTA 6 coming out?
Well, the official release date is yet to be confirmed by the development studios. Based on online speculations and analysis the year 2025 is standing out for the GTA 6 Release.
Is GTA 5 the biggest game ever?
Well, you heard it right, GTA 5 is in the Top 5 list of best-selling games of all time. GTA 5 has stolen the 3rd spot in this list with a whopping 175+ million downloads.
Do I need to play GTA 1 & GTA 2?
Certainly not, the first two games of the GTA series do not contribute a very substantial basis to the proceeding versions. However, if you are a hardcore gamer who doesn’t like skipping even the tiniest details, then you should start with GTA 1.
Is GTA 5 an endless game?
You can say so, once you have completed all the missions in GTA 5 you can still carry on exploring the entire map. It will be an aimless exploration but still makes the game endless.
Conclusion
You have reached the end of this article, we hope our list was able to assist you in your purpose. Now you can play all the GTA games in chronological order without worrying about missing out on any detail. If you wish to drop your feedback on this article, feel free to comment.
