GTA 6 trailer breakdown and release date
The first trailer and release date for Grand Theft Auto 6 have been confirmed
Want to know more about GTA 6? Grand Theft Auto 6 is the next GTA game from Rockstar Games, and now that we've had a first trailer and release date confirmed, there's a lot more to talk about than earlier in the year. Read on for everything we know so far about GTA 6.
In this guide:
GTA 6 trailer breakdown
The first trailer for GTA 6 was originally going to be unveiled on December 5th 2023, but Rockstar ended up putting the trailer live a day early after it got leaked online.
We've been through the trailer with a fine-tooth comb, and extracted all the interesting details in our GTA 6 breakdown below.
GTA 6 story
GTA 6 stars a Latina female protagonist named Lucia. She takes center stage throughout most of the trailer, which begins with her incarcerated and also includes shots of her riding shotgun and committing crimes with a male protagonist. 2022 leaks suggested that the man's name is Jason, but there is no confirmation of his identity at the moment.
Bloomberg reported in 2022 that GTA 6 would feature a "story influenced by the bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde." This claim seems to hold water, as the final shots of the trailer show the pair masked up with bandanas and about to rob a store. Lucia and the unnamed male protagonist certainly appear to be a couple, judging from their shared dialogue about "sticking together" and "trust." The trailer song - Tom Petty's "Love is a Long Road" - features lyrics about the desperation and tribulations of lovers, which might be a hint regarding the turbulent nature of their relationship in-game.
GTA 6 setting
GTA 6 will see players returning to a modern-day Vice City. The stand-in for Miami - previously the subject of the '80s-themed Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - has been revitalised for 2023 and appears more expansive than ever. Notable locations include Vice City's equivalents of South Beach and the Miami Beach Boardwalk, which appear to be dubbed the "Vice Beaches," judging from highway names in the trailer.
Other area names that can be glimpsed include Leonida - a play on the state of Florida - along with Kelly County, Leonard County, Vice Dale County, VCI Airport, Stockyard Downtown, and Port VC/Keys, which is likely a reference to a location in the trailer clearly inspired by the Everglades and Florida Keys. "Gator Keys," a similar locale, was originally planned for GTA: Vice City before it was cut, and it looks like Rockstar is finally able to release their full vision of a wetlands chock full of alligators with GTA 6.
GTA 6 cars
Any GTA worth its salt features dozens of vehicles to commandeer, and GTA 6 looks like it'll have all the usual suspects. The trailer features automobiles, monster trucks, motorbikes, quad bikes, speed boats, and even a propeller-powered airboat, presumably used for excusions through the Everglades area.
Lucia and her partner notably can be seen driving their own getaway car at the end of the trailer, hinting that personal vehicles are probably back in full-force. Their car boasts a "Crazy Hippie" bumper sticker on its rear, and a green truck glimpsed at about 0:52 in the trailer also features stickers on its back window reading "Vice Vinyl" and "#rideoutcustoms" - all possible indications that car customization in GTA 6 will be wonderfully varied.
GTA 6 gameplay
GTA 6 is expected to feature the franchise's tried-and-true formula of jacking cars, escaping from the authorities, and committing robberies in grand fashion. All of this is evident from the trailer, which also reveals a new angle - social media. A TikTok or Instagram Reels-style social network is heavily featured in the trailer, showcasing everything from Vice City's official wildlife rescue account to a video from a guy named "YoMammazJammer," who's giving props to his deceased friend Rudi.
While this may just be window dressing for the trailer, it suggests that the game will feature a social network or livestreaming component that goes far beyond Lifeinvader and Bleeter, which were the equivalents of Facebook and Twitter featured in GTA 5. At the very least, Rockstar is leaning heavily on the "Florida Man" and "Karen" memes that have taken over the internet in recent years with their own version of Leonida Man (lovingly thrusting his crotch at the viewer) and an angry neighbourhood watch woman holding two hammers.
The logos of two of the game's probable factions also appear at the bottom right corner of the trailer: the Thrillbilly Mud Club, which appears to be a group of monster truck drivers, and High Rollerz Lifestyle, a street racing group. There's also a dirt bike squad glimpsed during a news bulletin entitled "Dirt-Bike Dirt-Bags."
Last but not least, the key art of GTA 6 contains one intriguing detail - an electronic monitor around Lucia's right ankle. This may just be artistic flair, but it could also indicate that the game opens with Lucia's partner escorting her from jail, with the ankle bracelet serving to limit the pair's movements in Vice City's open world, at least during the first few hours of gameplay.
GTA 6 release date
Rockstar have confirmed a 2025 release date for GTA 6 - at least for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. We don't know exactly when it will be out in 2025 just yet, and the PC release date remains a mystery. If past games are any indication, GTA 5 released on PC about 18 months after it came out on Xbox 360 and PS3, which means that PC-only players - and the expansive GTA modding community - may need to wait for quite some time before exploring 2023's take on Vice City.
That's everything we know so far about Grand Theft Auto 6. Keep an eye on this page for subsequent updates as more trailers drop and gameplay details become revealed.