News, GTA VI
Every official Rockstar announcement about GTA VI, from the development confirmation in 2022 to the launch trailer, plus the press features that complete them, with what they showed and their source.
Dates are publication dates: by Rockstar or its partners for an official announcement, by the outlet for a press story. What an announcement showed is linked to the site page that covers it. Understanding statuses.
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Official
A trailer captured entirely in-game on PlayStation 5, set to “Flower in a Hurricane”, the new single by Justice with Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Rockstar presents Justice as the composer of the game’s original score. 1
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From newest to oldest. Open an announcement to see what it showed, page by page.
Official
A trailer captured entirely in-game on PlayStation 5, set to “Flower in a Hurricane”, the new single by Justice with Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Rockstar presents Justice as the composer of the game’s original score. 1
The video pageThe album pageThe announcement’s page
According to the press, the launch trailer shows him in swamp water with two armed men, night-vision goggles over his eyes, alongside a dog wearing protective goggles.
According to the press, the launch trailer opens with Lucia calling Jason from prison; it shows the electronic monitor on her ankle during a shower scene, then Lucia firing a minigun from a helicopter above Vice City.
Seen in media
In Miami, a “Welcome to Vice City” sign on the roof of the Kaseya Center, a blimp in Vice City colors and murals by artists featured in the game at Wynwood Walls; near Paris, a tower at the Porte de Bagnolet wrapped in the cover art, by the ring road. 12
Seen in media
After a day at Rockstar North, Bloomberg describes about eight years of work, a project first called “Project Americas” and 4,711 people in 12 offices in August 2026. Rockstar denies the rumor of a cost above $1.5 billion there, without giving a figure. 12
Official
Rockstar launches the Grand Theft Auto VI Collection, exclusive to its store: T-shirts, caps, keychains, a money clip, a Zippo lighter, tote bags and stickers. 1
Official
Rockstar presents Flash FM, Cocoteo FM, Back Country Radio, AfroBank FM, The Chamber 106.6 and Dirty South Classics, their hosts, on-demand podcasts, and a radio you can also listen to on foot. It announces the series’ biggest selection of radio and podcasts yet. 12
The six stationsThe announcement’s page
Flash FM is presented as “the Vice City institution” for pop, with Robyn and Alex on air.
Back Country Radio, the country station hosted by MW and Delta Dawne, has its own reporter, Mud Dog Mike, who calls in from his airboat in Grassrivers.
According to Rockstar’s text quoted by Game Informer, Back Country Radio broadcasts “for Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, and beyond”.
Seen in media
IGN publishes a long interview with Rob Nelson of Rockstar North: a “Focus” mode that flags nearby police, the “Busted” screen after every arrest, a vehicle scanner on the phone, robberies possible in almost every store, and a game designed to be replayed. 12
Official
Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, 34 original tracks with Atlantic Records, coming out with the game; six are available on the day of the announcement. 1
Official
PlayStation unveils two limited-edition DualSense controllers, one black and one white, out November 19 at a suggested price of €84.99; pre-orders on September 10 at 10:00 local time. 1
Seen in media
Rob Nelson of Rockstar North answers Famitsu’s questions after the demo: shops and salons, outfits, gang hideouts, witnesses and alarms. 12
Side activitiesThe announcement’s page
Rob Nelson mentions countless stores and salons, and the option of a haircut at the safehouse, with limited choices.
Rob Nelson talks about “thousands” of outfits, earned in missions or bought in stores.
Rob Nelson: the map shows what a gang hideout holds before you go in, and stolen drugs are sold to a fence.
Rob Nelson only mentions buying garages; no other safehouse is announced as buyable.
Rob Nelson: the map tells you what a hideout holds before you go in, and stolen drugs are sold to a fence.
Rob Nelson: a crime is only reported if there’s a witness or an alarm goes off, and you need to change clothes to shake the police.
Official
A 26-minute 48-second showcase, first on Netflix and then on YouTube, captured entirely in-game on PS5: missions, car theft, heists, police and Jason and Lucia’s daily life. Rockstar then adds new screenshots to its site. 12
The video pageThe announcement’s page
A police chase through the streets, a rooftop bar and a base jump off a skyscraper.
Three more screenshots: two towers by the bay, the waterfront at dusk and an armed man in the street.
One more screenshot: an iguana in the sun, with the sea and the islands behind it.
Two screenshots of the region, then Jason and Lucia embracing at sunset, surrounded by police airboats in the swamp.
The video goes back to the Starlet Motel, around 25:58.
One more screenshot shows the town at sunset, between gas stations and shopping streets.
One more screenshot: a mud party among buggies and ATVs.
An off-road race takes place there, around 18:35.
First mission shown: a pickup for Boobie that turns into a shootout. At home, Jason shoots hoops and grabs a beer in front of the TV.
Four more screenshots: behind a fence under flashing lights, near a seaplane, magazine in hand, hooded, with a rifle.
Gym, shooting range, a base jump off a skyscraper, wigs and hairstyles, a getaway car torched with a Molotov cocktail.
Four more screenshots: a shootout in a tunnel, leaving a check-cashing store, the gym, and behind the wheel at night.
According to Engadget, he’s seen lying on a pink flamingo float in a pool, as in his official screenshot.
According to the press, the first mission shown is a pickup for Boobie that turns into a shootout.
The press reports no appearance by Dre’Quan in the video.
According to the press, one scene shows them in a recording booth.
Jason and Lucia drive the getaway car on one of his robberies, then join his crew.
With Lori, he meets Jason and Lucia at Effluvia, a rooftop bar.
According to the press, one scene shows Real Dimez in a recording booth.
According to Engadget, he’s seen on a float in a pool, without the video saying whether it’s his place.
Brian and Lori meet Jason and Lucia at Effluvia, a rooftop bar.
The duo share an apartment in Vice City, seen around 6:20; Lucia names the Bayside district.
The video comes back to it, around 25:58.
A new Ambrosia screenshot shows a mud party, with no readable patch.
The wiki links the gang to the dealers at Venture Apartments, where a police raid interrupts the delivery at the start of the video.
Jason and Lucia drive the getaway car after one of Raul’s robberies, and he takes them into his crew.
Screenshots of the duo show a jewelry store robbery and a car being torched, without saying who they’re working for.
Brian and Lori meet the duo at Effluvia, a rooftop bar.
An armed raid opens the video; later, a police chase cuts across Vice City.
Several screenshots show the duo on the run: flashing lights behind a fence, a police car in a tunnel, police airboats in the swamp.
Seen in media
Journalists describe the demo presented by Rob Nelson: the story that starts in the Keys, the size of Vice City, the lived-in safehouses. 12
The placesThe announcement’s page
According to Rob Nelson, who presented the demo, Vice City alone is twice the size of Los Santos, GTA V’s city.
According to Rob Nelson’s demo as reported by Trois Couleurs, the story starts at Jason’s place, in the Keys.
According to Rob Nelson’s demo as reported by Trois Couleurs, the game starts here.
According to IGN’s preview, safehouses feel lived-in: people drop by, and each character can keep several vehicles.
Official
Rockstar Support updates its page on the editions: the box contains a download code, no disc, available from November 12 for preloading, and there’s no boxed Ultimate Edition. 1
Official
Rockstar announces An Extended Look: premiering on Netflix on Thursday, August 27 at 15:00 New York time (21:00 in France), then on YouTube and the game’s site at 21:00 New York time. 1
Official
Take-Two confirms the November 19, 2026 release and keeps its full-year forecast: $8.0 to $8.2 billion in net bookings. 1
Official
Rockstar announces that pre-orders open on June 25, at midnight, local time, and presents the Ultimate Edition and the Vintage Vice City Pack. On the same day, PlayStation presents the PS5 as the best place to play the game. 12
The editionsThe announcement’s page
The edition texts name Stockyard (Stock 305, Electric Fang) and Southside, home of the PTT Youngin$ compound; the Squalo boat is docked at Washington Beach.
The Shore Court garage, “a stone’s throw” from Ocean Beach, houses the ’55 Vapid Stanier; the pack’s screenshot puts Jason and Lucia outside the Ocean View Hotel.
Jason’s safehouse vehicles, an army-fatigue Dinka Enduro and a Crest kayak, are described with the Ultimate Edition.
The ’67 Vapid Dominator Buggy is billed as “a Mud Club monster”, built for the backwoods of Mount Kalaga “and beyond”.
The Ultimate Edition gives him an engraved Girardi ES9, his safehouse vehicles and a retro kit for his “well-worn” Vapid Ganado.
The Vintage Pack gives him a pastel linen suit and the haircut of “the decade of decadence”.
The Ultimate Edition gives her an engraved Klose K17, makeup and nails at Sara’s Unisex Salon, and tattoos from Electric Fang.
The Vintage Pack gives her a red sequin mini dress and curls, to “show everyone the world is yours”.
“Transform vanilla vehicles into magnificent works of art”: detailed interiors, exquisite rims and donk styling. The shop only opens with the Ultimate Edition.
Three screenshots: the gold sedan on its rims, its red interior, and a mechanic under a yellow car.
The edition text promises signature hairstyles for Jason and Lucia, facial hair for Jason, makeup and nails for Lucia; the salon only opens with the Ultimate Edition.
The screenshots show Jason and Lucia outside the salon, Jason sporting the salon’s mullet and Lucia getting her nails done.
Billed as Stockyard’s premier destination for elevated streetwear, the store only opens with the Ultimate Edition.
The screenshots show Jason sitting on the roof of a painted van, Lucia leaning against it, then each of them inside the store.
Stockyard’s most iconic ink bar: over 50 signature tattoos designed by the FAILE collective, only with the Ultimate Edition.
The screenshots show Jason and Lucia by the neon sign, Lucia with a buzz cut under the needle, and Jason’s fully tattooed back.
The edition text places it in Lake Leonida and says it specializes in off-road mods and hand-painted automotive artistry; it only opens with the Ultimate Edition.
The screenshots show a lime green off-roader from every angle, hood up in the shop.
The edition lets you raid the compound of one of Southside’s loudest and most socially active gangs, then escape with special items and distinct contraband.
The “Jason’s Safehouse Vehicles” screenshot shows the house, roof fixed, with its vehicles parked out front.
The army-fatigue Dinka Enduro and the Crest kayak are presented as his safehouse vehicles, to “switch gears and soak up the sun”.
The edition lets you raid their Southside compound and escape with special items and distinct contraband.
An Ultimate Edition screenshot shows a boat marked Vice City Police and a helicopter in the same colors.
Official
Rockstar announces that pre-orders open on June 25, on digital stores and at select retailers, and reveals the official cover art in a video. 1
Official
Rockstar announces the release for Thursday, November 19, 2026, to finish the game to the desired level of polish. 1
Official
On the same day, Rockstar releases Trailer 2, the pages for the eight characters, the six regions of Leonida and the first official screenshots. 1234
The video pageThe announcement’s page
Around 0:37, the highway signs point to VCI Airport, Ambrosia, Downtown, Southside and Peacock Bay.
Rockstar presents it under the slogan “Everything in excess” and names Ocean Beach, Little Cuba, Tisha-Wocka and VC Port.
The video opens on Key Lento: Jason fixes a roof, stops by Brian’s boatyard, then speeds off on a jet ski with Lucia.
Rockstar calls it the “Gateway to paradise”: fishing, beach bars and small-time schemes, far from the bustle of Vice City.
Rockstar welcomes you with “Welcome to the wetlands”: alligators, airboats, hunting, fishing and poaching.
Slogan “Live hard”: cheap motels, empty malls, closed attractions, the place to lie low.
A highway sign points to Ambrosia, next to VCI Airport.
Slogan “Keeping Leonida sweet”: the Allied Crystal refinery provides the jobs, a local biker gang provides just about everything else.
Slogan “Wild, wild country”: forests, gorges and rivers for hunting, fishing and off-roading.
The video opens on him in the Keys: a roof to fix, a call from Brian, a collection run that goes wrong.
His official profile: a youth among grifters, the army, work for the Keys smugglers and a life that keeps getting complicated.
Out of prison, she drives, robs and stands up to the police, a grenade launcher on her shoulder.
Her official profile: a father who taught her to fight, prison for defending her family, a mother who has dreamed of the good life since their Liberty City days.
In a floral shirt and dark glasses, he tags along with Jason in the Keys sequence.
His official profile shows him happy at home, between beers, private tabs and Coast Guard radio: what if everything you read online were true?
His official profile: a local legend who turned his street years into a legal empire, with one bet left to win, Only Raw Records.
His official profile: more hustler than gangster, he always aimed for music and now wants Vice City’s whole scene.
Their official profile: high school friends who went from small-time hustling to viral rap, hoping lightning strikes twice.
His official profile: a seasoned robber always looking for talent, whose recklessness raises the stakes on every job.
Jason’s boss in the Keys sequence; his boatyard sign can be read around 1:25.
His official profile: trained in the golden age of smuggling, he houses Jason in exchange for debt collecting and visits for Lori’s sangria.
Boobie’s, Dre’Quan’s and Real Dimez’s profiles introduce it: all the label needs is a hit.
Boobie’s profile lists it among his businesses: the club’s money keeps the label going.
Jason fixes the leaking roof before heading out to collect for Brian.
Cal’s profile describes him safe at home, listening to the Coast Guard, a few beers within reach.
Brian’s boatyard appears at night, sign lit, around 1:25.
Brian’s profile mentions Lori’s sangria, which Jason has to come and drink: it’s part of the deal.
Her profile: prison for defending her family, a lucky way out, and just one plan, smart jobs only.
At night, while cargo is being loaded, the sign can be read above the workshop door, around 1:25.
Brian’s profile: his goods still move through his boatyard, with Lori.
A Port Gellhorn screenshot shows the sign lit at night, “vacancy” light included.
The Ambrosia profile: the refinery provides the jobs, “a local biker gang” provides just about everything else.
On one screenshot, the name can be read on the back of the vests: “Final Chapter”, “Ambrosia”, “1982”, “MC”.
The name reportedly shows up again on a mural in the La Perle district, around 0:46.
Raul’s profile: always on the lookout for talent ready to take the biggest risks.
Brian’s boatyard at night, sign lit, while cargo is being loaded.
Jason works for the Keys’ “local smugglers”, and Brian moves his goods through his boatyard.
An armored truck faces Lucia during her getaway, around 1:59.
Official
Rockstar sets the release for May 26, 2026, later than planned, and apologizes to players. 1
Official
The first video introduces Lucia, the State of Leonida and Vice City, over “Love Is a Long Road” by Tom Petty. 12
The video pageThe announcement’s page
The game opens on the city: the beach, the towers by the bay, Ocean Beach’s neon at night and modified cars.
An airboat cuts through the swamp: the region’s first image.
Jason and Lucia share a motel room; the Starlet Motel sign, readable in the region’s screenshots, places the scene.
He appears alongside Lucia: a motel room, a getaway drive, a convenience store robbery.
The very first scene: Lucia questioned in an orange jumpsuit, at Leonida Penitentiary.
Modified cars and a meet-up of enthusiasts in Vice City set the tone from the very first video.
Players link a club from Trailer 1 to the King of Diamonds, a real Miami club.
The video opens on Lucia being questioned at the penitentiary, in an orange jumpsuit.
Jason and Lucia share a room, curtains drawn.
According to the GTA Wiki, a San4San chain is visible on a man’s neck at the car meet, at about 1:08.
A Vice-Dale Police Department car and the Leonard County Sheriff’s Office appear.
Official
In a message to the community, Rockstar confirms that development of the next Grand Theft Auto is well underway. 1
Questions
55 sources checked
Each announcement links here by its number; the page-by-page reveals have their sources on each page.
The launch trailer plays over “Flower in a Hurricane”, Justice’s new single with Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, also on GTA VI: The Album; Justice is composing the game’s original score.
The Kaseya Center’s “Welcome to Vice City” sign, the blimp, the Wynwood Walls murals and the Miami HEAT night on November 18.
A tower at the Porte de Bagnolet wrapped in the cover art, with a big “19”, by the ring road.
About eight years of development; Rockstar’s next game will not take eight years.
Bloomberg’s account: “Project Americas”, 4,711 people in 12 offices, the rumor of a $1.5 billion cost denied.
Rockstar and Atlantic Records release “Don’t Chart” by Cardi B and “Suzuki” by Fuerza Regida, two tracks from the album.
T-shirts, caps, keychains, a money clip, a Zippo lighter, tote bags and stickers, exclusive to the Rockstar Store.
Six stations presented with their hosts, on-demand podcasts, and a radio you can listen to in a car or on foot with Jason’s or Lucia’s phone and earbuds.
Matthew Ball, head of strategy at Xbox: the game will not be streamed from the cloud exclusively or to PC.
Reports of an Xbox cloud exclusive were wrong.
“Focus” mode, the “Busted” screen, a vehicle scanner on the phone, robberies in almost every store, a game designed to be replayed.
According to Rob Nelson, speaking to IGN, nobody on the team knows the whole game.
New cover art and four new images of Jason and Lucia in LOVE issue 27.
LOVE’s interviews with the Rockstar team: Jason and Lucia’s modest American dream, satire that avoids passing trends.
Standard Edition $79.99 and Ultimate Edition $99.99; ESRB Mature 17+ rating: blood, intense violence, mature humor, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, drugs and alcohol.
Standard Edition $79.99 and Ultimate Edition $99.99, Ultimate upgrade $20; ESRB Mature 17+ rating.
Standard Edition €79.99 and Ultimate Edition €99.99; a month of GTA+ with a pre-order, before November 20, 2026.
Standard Edition €79.99 and Ultimate Edition €99.99, as on the PlayStation Store; the upgrade from Standard to Ultimate for €20; PEGI 18 rating.
Standard Edition AU$129.95 and Ultimate Edition AU$159.95; R18+ rating.
Standard Edition ¥9,800 and Ultimate Edition ¥12,280; CERO Z rating shown at the top of the page.
Announcement of the cover story (issue 382, 14 pages), written after interviews with Rockstar lead designers.
Over 170 species; some rare, discoverable or legendary ones can be tracked.
Redesigned weather: localized rain, thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes, simulated wind.
Recap of the September 29, 2026 Game Informer cover story: map, regions, weather, wildlife; not a word about cheat codes.
An exclusive limited-edition collector’s box inspired by the Macca the Gator show: eleven items, without the game, to pre-order while supplies last, shipping from November 19.
$399.99 on the US store; shipping from November 19, 2026; limit one per person; no free shipping; about 48 × 33 × 30 cm; for adults, ages 18 and up.
34 original tracks with Atlantic Records, out November 19, 2026, six tracks available; the game’s music, its dynamic score and “the next evolution of in-game radio” will be detailed later.
September 17, 2026, Take-Two shareholder meeting: GTA VI is a single-player game, and GTA Online will be supported “after GTA 6’s release and beyond”.
Strauss Zelnick: GTA VI launches as a single-player game on two consoles, so no recurring spending is expected for this launch; GTA Online remains a solid business.
Two controllers, one black and one white, from November 19 at a suggested price of €84.99; pre-orders on September 10 at 10:00 local time; the black one is sold only on direct.playstation.com where it exists, including France.
Safehouses that change with the chapters, three vehicle slots at the start, garages to buy, Ammu-Nation locker, Pay ’n’ Spray and fences, heists, salons and stores, haircuts at home.
The translation of Rob Nelson’s answers to Famitsu, taken from GamesRadar+.
Announcement of the video, captured entirely in-game on PlayStation 5.
Screenshots of the regions and characters (May 2025) and of the editions (June 2026); the storefronts named in the screenshot titles.
The two editions, the sixteen Ultimate Edition items, the upgrade, the disc-free box, preloading at midnight on November 12, the bonuses before November 20 and the region rules.
Premiering on Netflix on Thursday, August 27 at 15:00 New York time; on Rockstar’s YouTube channel and the game’s site at 21:00 New York time.
GTA VI release confirmed for November 19, 2026; forecast of $8.0 to $8.2 billion in net bookings.
Editions, Vintage Vice City Pack, release on November 19, 2026.
Sony presents the PS5 as the best place to play the game; pre-orders on the PlayStation Store on June 25 at midnight, local time, with a month of GTA+.
Pre-orders open on June 25 on digital stores and at select retailers; the official cover art is revealed in a video.
The release is set for Thursday, November 19, 2026, to finish the game to the desired level of polish.
Trailer 1 from December 4, 2023, Trailer 2 from May 6, 2025, Extended Look from August 27, 2026: the site’s stills come from them.
Six regions and eight characters presented on May 6, 2025; edition texts from June 24, 2026. Reread on 09/27/2026 in the pages that quote it (rockstargames.com couldn’t be reached from our workspace that day).
Eight official profiles for nine characters (Real Dimez is a duo).
Covers the official descriptions of the six regions published on May 6, 2025.
First delay: the release moves to May 26, 2026, with Rockstar’s apologies for the wait.
“Love Is a Long Road” (Full Moon Fever, 1989) in Trailer 1; message from Tom Petty’s estate.
The first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto will be released in early December.
Rockstar announces the trailer for Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 9 a.m. New York time.
Development of the next Grand Theft Auto is well underway.
Results on Monday, November 9, 2026, after the market closes; call at 4:30 p.m. New York time.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 7 p.m. New York time, against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Kaseya Center: “Vice City” court and jersey.
