How long does it take to beat every GTA game until GTA 6 comes out

It's officially 2026 and hopefully that means Grand Theft Auto 6 it's just around the corner. The highly anticipated project from developer Rockstar has already been delayed twice, which has been shrouded Grand Theft Auto 6 in a cloud of caution. However, the game seems to be on track, but even if it gets delayed once more, it would at least leave plenty of extra time to re-evaluate the entire series before it launches. The GTA franchise has been running for almost 30 years and for those curious to jump into the entire series to be fully prepared GTA 6there are several things to consider, one of the most important being how long each title takes to complete.

The time required to defeat each GTA the game is very different. When the franchise first started in the late 1990s, the entries were much shorter than what they are known for. Over the years, Rockstar has gotten bigger and bolder with each new game, and as the franchise has evolved, so has the length of each story. The main stories, side missions and other content offer hours of gameplay and if players want to finish each game first GTA 6 Coming up, starting early in the year can be key.

The definitive list of how long it takes to beat every Grand Theft Auto game

The list below does not include extensions.

Games	How long to beat	Platforms
Grand Theft Auto	Main story – 14 hours With side missions – 14 hours Completist – 4 p.m	PC, PlayStation, Game Boy Color
Grand Theft Auto 2	Main story – 12.5 hours With side missions – 21 hours Completist – 26 hours	PC, PlayStation, PS2, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color
Grand Theft Auto 3	Main story – 14 hours With side missions – 20.5 hours Completist – 36 hours	Nintendo Switch, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mobile
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	Main story – 5 p.m With side missions – 24 hours Completist – 38 hours	Nintendo Switch, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. Mobile
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	Main story – 30 hours With side missions – 45 hours Completist – 71.5 hours	Nintendo Switch, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mobile
Grand Theft Auto Advance	Main story – 7 hours With side missions – 11.5 hours Completist – 16.5 hours	Game Boy Advance
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories	Main story – 14 hours With side missions – 23 hours Completist – 41 hours	PS2, PSP, mobile
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories	Main story – 15.5 hours With side missions – 24 Completist – 41	PS2, PSP, mobile
Grand Theft Auto 4	Main story – 27 hours With side missions – 40.5 hours Completist – 73.5 hours	PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One (backwards compatible)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars	Main story – 9.5 hours With side missions – 13.5 hours Completist – 24.5 hours	PSP, Nintendo DS, Mobile
Grand Theft Auto 5	Main story – 32 hours With side missions – 51.5 hours Completist – 88 hours	PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Grand Theft Auto Online	GTA Online is an ongoing game, so there isn't really a set amount of time to beat.	PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.

There are five Grand Theft Auto games you must play

GTA 3
GTA: Vice City
GTA: San Andreas
GTA 4
GTA 5

If mastering all these games is too daunting a task, then it may be better to accept the best. The GTA franchise has officially become a 3D third-person series GTA 3and while it's a solid change from the previous formula that defined how future games would look, Vice City and San Andreas are games that solidified the overall tone and gameplay. The trio remain some of the most influential open-world games of the 21st century and GTA 4 and GTA 5 introduced an even more expansive narrative that showcased just how compelling and deep the franchise can really go with its stories.

These five games contain some of the most iconic moments from the franchise. Whether it's the voice of beloved actor Ray Liotta Vice City protagonist Tommy Vercetti, San AndreasStar Final Mission or Trevor's Wild Introduction GTA 5these core items remain core games to play GTA 6. Granted, the other games are still great in their own right, but they're more like fun extra chapters instead of must-plays.

Grand Theft Auto 6 could be Rockstar's biggest game yet

GTA 6 is currently set to run November 19, 2026.
The game will be available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

It is not yet clear how long GTA 6 it will, but following Rockstar's example, it has the potential to be the developer's longest game yet. With each new chapter, Rockstar expanded the size of the main stories and side content. His latest game, Red Dead Redemption 2had a main story that averaged a whopping 50 hours, and that's not impossible GTA 6 overcome this. Of course, this is purely speculation at this point, but with the amount of time Rockstar took to develop the game, it has the potential to be at least on par. Red Dead Redemption 2story length.

The first trailer for GTA 6 is already two years old.

Only time will tell for how long GTA 6 to beat, but once it's here it'll be fascinating to see how it stacks up against the rest of the franchise. I hope this year will not bring another one GTA 6 delay. Anticipation for this game has been building for years at this point, so pushing it a third time would ignite a major wave of frustration. All players can do right now is wait and see what Rockstar decides to do, and luckily the developer has already created plenty of great games to while away the hours until the new chapter is ready.