If you’re anything like me, you’re waiting for the release of GTA 6 more than ever, and you’re also disappointed that you won’t be one of the first players to join this beautiful and vast world that Rockstar Games has created, just because you’re a PC player.
But even so, the time will come, and until then, here’s everything that we found out about Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) and its characters, plot, and the rebooted Vice City, using only official information that we get from Rockstar Games and the trailers that the company releases.
Everything about GTA 6’s release date
Back on December 4, 2023, Rockstar Games revealed (via Take-Two Interactive’s Business Wire) that GTA VI was “coming… in 2025” for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. On May 2, 2025, the company announced from their official blog that GTA 6’s release date changed to May 26, 2026.
The concept of GTA 6 and the game’s preliminary work began in 2014, a year after the release of GTA V. The principal development, though, started after Red Dead Redemption 2’s October 26, 2018 release.
On February 4, 2022, Rockstar confirmed that “active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway.” By July 2022, more development resources were officially redirected toward GTA 6.
On December 4, 2023, the first official trailer was released. In February 2024, staff were asked to return to the office as the game entered its “final stretch of development.”
What does all that mean? Well, mostly that it will take approximately 12 years (2014 to 2026) for the whole concept to be built and released, or 8 years if you only count the full-scale production. This extended cycle makes GTA 6 the longest-in-development title in Rockstar’s history.
Current official scheduled release date: May 26, 2026.
The best highlights we saw in the trailers
As of this moment of writing, we have two official trailers by Rockstar Games, and both of them gave us a glimpse of GTA 6, the life in Vice City, our protagonists, the main characters, and so much more that we’ll be enjoying once the game gets released.
You’ll also notice that Jason is different in the second trailer, which means that the company decided to make some bold changes to one of the main protagonists. Which Jason do you prefer, the one in the first trailer or the one in the second trailer?
Highlights from the first trailer
There’s one thing and one thing only that we immediately noticed while watching the first trailer: street-level chaos. From illegal races, gator wrangling, convenience-store heists, to the “Florida Man” and the use of social media platforms, it had a lot.
This is where we also met the two main protagonists, Jason and Lucia, with the second name marketing the series’ first playable female lead.
What amazed us, though, was Vice City, which was dazzled with neon-lit highways, crowded beaches, lots of buildings, boats, sea, animals, cars, and hundreds upon hundreds of stores, clubs, and everything a city may include.
But Rockstar didn’t stop there with the first trailer, as their satire has its own trademark (and it seems it’ll never stop). Based on glimpses of influencers filming absurd stunts, tabloid news trucks, and over-the-top billboards, the company is surely mocking modern culture.
Highlights from the second trailer
The second trailer came to give us another glimpse into the world that Rockstar Games has created, starting with our main protagonists and characters. Firstly, we saw that Lucia was released from prison, and guess who was waiting for her outside the gates? Yes, that’s right, Jason.
Our two main protagonists seem to be in love, laughing on a pier, rolling in bed, going on a heist, drinking beers, and gearing up for an “easy score gone wrong”. They have a plan, and they’re now more careful than ever before – although having Lucia blowing up the cops doesn’t really seem to be the case.
We also got a look at the main characters, including Cal Hampton, Jason’s friend who seems to know about using a computer – and who, something tells me, will play a critical role in the plot. Have I mentioned that he can snoop on Coast Guard comms?
We also saw more details about the cars, bikes, airplanes, boats, NPCs, and the tremendous action that the story will come with.
Vice City is the city that never sleeps
The state of Leonida will be filled with different locations, and unlike previous titles, this time the number of things that we’ll be able to see and find will be a whole lot more. From urban centers to natural landscapes and buildings that are actually accessible, we have a lot of things to talk about.
Leonida
The game takes place in the state of Leonida, which is based in Vice City, and it’s inspired by the real city of Miami. It also shares many similarities, including the decorations, neighborhoods, and the dynamic nightlife. There’s also a beachfront with hotels and clubs, which is basically reminiscent of Miami’s South Beach.
There’s also an arts district with colorful murals and street art everywhere called Wynwood, and even the Kaseya Center, which is a large arena hosting sports and other entertainment events.
Unlike the older title, this Vice City won’t be based on the ’80s, but it kept many of its original beauty. Based on Rockstar Games, “each neighborhood has something to offer, from the pastel art deco hotels and bright white sands of Ocean Beach, to the bustling panaderías of Little Cuba and the bootleg brands of the Tisha-Wocka flea market, out to the VC Port, the cruise ship capital of the world.”
Keys
The Leonida Keys is inspired by the Florida Keys, and it’s an area that includes scenic drives on bridges that connect the islands and provide unique water activities for boating, fishing, and other “marine-type” activities.
What’s even interesting about Keys as a location is what Rockstar Games has said in their own description:
Life in this tropical archipelago isn’t flashy but it’s easy. Get your buzz on and pull up a deck chair but look out — you are right on the doorstep of some of the most beautiful and dangerous waters in all of America.
“Dangerous waters“, that’s the word that I liked the most. Maybe sharks? Maybe pirates? Maybe underwater fighting with submarines? Who knows, but I bet they’re mentioning sharks. I also bet that we will be seeing a lot of sharks in GTA 6.
Grassrivers
One of the most anticipated locations in GTA 6 is arguably Grassrivers. What’s there? Well, the whole place is basically a wetland region, and it’s located in the southern part of Leonida.
Grassrivers has a little bit of everything for urban lovers, including expansive swamps, wildlife, challenging terrains such as muddy marshes and waterways, spots that you can pass only with a fanboat, and so much more.
Oh, did I mention that Grassrivers is the perfect place to find alligators and flamingos?
Port Gellhorne
Based on what we know from Rockstar Games, Port Gellhorne is Leonida’s forgotten coast. This is the place with the cheapest motels, empty strip malls, and shut-down attractions. It’s not exactly the right place for tourists.
Although emptied of most, Port Gellhorne is a place fueled by malt liquor, painkillers, and truck stop energy drinks. It’s also a great place if you’re looking for some fun with your dirt bike, and if the developers took anything from Red Dead Redemption 2, you may also get robbed.
Ambrosia
Situated in central Leonida, Ambrosia is an industrial town filled with factories, smokestacks, and swamplands, and its primary economic “driver” seems to be the Allied Crystal facility (which produces sprawling sugar refinery).
This is also the right place to visit if you’re interested in finding out how bad biker gangs can be, while it’s the home of Final Chapter MC, one of the biker gangs with a significant role in Ambrosia.
All the characters and their backstories
Rockstar Games has updated their website once they released the second trailer, giving us more information about the 9 main characters (among them the two protagonists) that we’ll be seeing in GTA 6.
Most specifically, here’s a list of the characters that we know so far:
| Picture | Character’s Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
 | Jason Duval | Main male protagonist. |
 | Lucia Caminos | Main felame protagonist. |
 | Cal Hampton | A conspiracy theorist and friend of Jason’s. |
 | Boobie Ike | A local legend turned legitimate entrepreneur. |
 | Dre’Quan Priest | Once a street-level hustler selling drugs. |
 | Real Dimez (Bae-Luxe and Roxy) | Rap duo and influencers. |
 | Raul Bautista | A veteran bank robber. |
 | Brian Heder | The guy who runs his own narcotics empire. |
Each character has their own backstory, and I’m sure that Rockstar Games will provide even more information about each and every one of them in the near future. If the company shows us more characters, I’ll update the article.
Here’s what we know so far for each protagonist and character, based on Rockstar Games:
Jason Duval
Jason Duval is our main male protagonist. He grew up around grifters and crooks, enlisted in the army to escape his troubled teens, then resurfaced working for local drug runners in the Keys.
He’s Lucia’s boyfriend, and using his military skills and underworld contacts, he seems to try and pull off high-stakes scores. Jason wants an easy life, but based on Rockstar Games, things are just getting harder and harder for him.
When it comes to his work, Jason is part of local drug runners, and from what we know, he’s working alongside Brian Heder.
Lucia Caminos
Lucia Caminos is our main female protagonist, and it seems that she grew up with her father, who taught her how to fight as soon as she started to walk. Life wasn’t easy for her either, as he kept fighting for her family, which landed her in the Leonida Penitentiary.
Sheer luck got her out, and Jason was there, waiting outside the penitentiary’s gates. Lucia’s dream is to see her mother live a good life, and to do so, she’s prepared to take matters into her own hands. From what we know, Lucia was born in Liberty City.
Cal Hampton
Cal Hampton is a stereotypical conspiracy theorist and a friend of Jason’s. He spends his days at home intercepting Coast Guard communications while drinking cold beers, convinced of hidden plots around every corner.
There are way too many birds flying around in perfect formation.
Cal Hampton
Basically, Cal is at the low tide of America, and he’s casual paranoia lives with him, but from what Rockstar is telling us, his friend Jason has bigger plans.
Boobie Ike
Boobie seems to be a local legend and a legitimate entrepreneur who build his whole empire from real estate holdings, a strip-club chain, and a recording studio. He always smiles, but when it comes to business, he’s ruthless.
The club money pay for the studio, and the drug money pay for it all.
Boobie Ike
He’s been in partnership with the aspiring music mogul Dre’Quan for Only Raw Records, and he has heavily invested in him – they only thing they need? A great hit.
Dre’Quan Priest
Although he’s past screams of a gangster life, Dre’Quan was always more of a music hustler. In the past, he was dealing on the streets to make ends meet, but his ultimate goal was always to join into the music industry.
Currently, Dre’Quan is a part of the Only Raw Records, and all around Boobie’s clubs, trying to push his name and music even further.
Real Dimez (Bae-Luxe and Roxy)
Bae-Luxe and Roxy are together in everything, from building their own rap duo and going viral thanks to their spicy tracks, they’re also social media influencers. After releasing a song that went viral, named DWNPLY, they signed to Dre’Quan’s label.
All my dimes in this club. Meet my twin, make it a dub
Real Dimez
They named their “band” Real Dimez, and they met back in high school. These two girls turn their time shaking down local dealers into cold, hard cash via spicy tracks and relentless social media presence. After five years and many troubles, they finally signed to Only Raw Records, and they’re aiming for a major comeback with new songs.
Raul Bautista
Confidence, charming, and cunning, this is the guy who’s gonna be the main character when it comes to robbing banks in GTA 6. He’s a veteran bank robber who loves taking big risks that reward even bigger.
Life is full of surprises, my friend. I think we’d all be wise to remember that.
Raul Bautista
Raúl’s greed for the next big score keeps his crew on the edge of disaster, and they will either have to double down or pull their chips from the table. But from what we can see so far, he knows how to shoot, that’s for sure.
Brian Heder
Last but not least, we have Brian Heder. He’s a classic drug runner from the golden age of smuggling in the Keys, and as the owner of a boat yard, he runs his whole operation from there. He’s also married three times, and he’s now with Lori, he’s third wife.
I hauled so much grass in that plane, I could make the state of Leonida levitate.
Brian Heder
As a good old-time professional, Brian knows what he does, and instead of handling things on his own, he’s letting others do his dirty work. He’s also housing Jason rent-free in exchange for muscle and occasional “family” favors alongside his third wife
How GTA 6 is connected to the previous titles
We don’t know if GTA 6 will have a cameo of Phil Cassidy and Tommy Vercetti from the older title, but we do get to go back to Vice City. Now, there are many rumors and speculations about what we may or may not see in GTA 6, but unfortunately, we don’t have any official information from Rockstar Games.
But that’s not going to stop people from spotting things, and one of the best – and probably the most surprising things – is an Easter-egg that Den of Geek found about a connection with Red Dead Redemption 2, implying Rockstar may subtly tie GTA 6’s criminal underworld back to its western roots.
Early leaks and official footage place GTA 6 in Leonida, a modern-day Florida analogue that echoes both Vice City (Miami) and the Everglades region seen in San Andreas. In the second trailer, viewers uncovered graffiti referencing past heists and a “De Santa” plate, an overt nod to the family at the heart of GTA V’s story (here’s the YouTube video).
Although there are many Easter-eggs in the trailers, this isn’t anything new with Rockstar Games. I mean, the same happened in GTA 5, where players found a book titled Red Dead, which is authored by “J. Marston,” possibly referencing Jack Marston from Red Dead Redemption.
Then there’s a character in Red Dead Redemption 2 named Francis Sinclair, who exhibits time-traveling abilities and bears a birthmark associated with the Epsilon Program, a cult featured in GTA V. Some weapons like the Stone Hatchet and a revolver that can be found both in GTA and RDR are also clues.
But what I find to be very interesting (apart from Francis Sinclair) is that both games feature UFOs that have similar designs. This implies that there’s a consistent extraterrestrial presence across the franchises, which makes things even more interesting.
More to come!
And that’s it, folks. This is everything we know so far from Rockstar Games, and the moment that we know more, we’ll be updating the article. Actually, this thing is gonna see hundreds of updates until the release of GTA 6, so make sure to save it to your bookmarks.
Will GTA 6 be the best game the world has ever seen? Probably, and if we consider that Rockstar Games pushed back its release date, we know they’re working on something huge. And don’t let us start with the trailers, which clearly show that the developers did a tremendous job building this highly realistic world.
Knowing what they’ve managed to do in Red Dead Redemption 2, there’s no doubt that we’re currently awaiting a masterpiece that we’ll be playing for years to come.
