The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For a story-first run through the main 3D and HD-era games, play Vice City Stories, Vice City, San Andreas, Liberty City Stories, GTA Advance (optional), GTA III, then GTA IV and its two overlapping episodes, followed by optional Chinatown Wars and GTA V. The series has separate continuities, though: this is a practical chronology across the 3D and HD eras, not one uninterrupted canon.
Recommended Grand Theft Auto story order
The sequence below follows the in-fiction dates in GameTimeline.org’s independent chronology guide, updated August 2026. Rockstar’s official product pages establish details about specific releases and collections, but not this full game-by-game chronology.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories — 1984
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — 1986
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — 1992
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories — 1998
- Grand Theft Auto Advance — 2000; optional
- Grand Theft Auto III — 2001
- Grand Theft Auto IV — 2008
- The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony — both overlap the GTA IV period. Start with GTA IV, then play the episodes in either order.
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars — after the events of GTA IV; optional
- Grand Theft Auto V — 2013
GameTimeline.org places the original Grand Theft Auto, London 1969, London 1961, and Grand Theft Auto 2 in a separate 2D continuity, so they are not part of this sequence. They are optional series history, not prerequisites. The guide also treats the handheld prequels as optional for a casual first playthrough.
Why the series has separate timelines
The chronology guide distinguishes 2D, 3D, and HD continuities. The 3D story begins with Vice City Stories; the HD story begins with GTA IV. Shared city names or references do not mean that characters’ stories form one continuous history across all eras. Keep the 3D and HD timelines distinct rather than treating every game as a chapter in one connected canon.
#1 Best Overall
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
Choose a route that fits your playthrough
For the fullest chronological route
Follow the complete list above, including the optional handheld games if you want the added context. The two GTA IV episodes happen alongside the main game, so there is no strict chronological order between them; play both after GTA IV.
For a shorter, familiar route
If you want the best-known console-era run without starting with the prequels, play Grand Theft Auto III → Vice City → San Andreas → GTA IV and its two episodes → GTA V. This is simpler, but it is not strict story chronology within the 3D era.
Rank #2
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
For series history
Play the 2D-era games separately if you are interested in the franchise’s earlier releases. Their place in series history does not make them necessary setup for the 3D or HD stories.
What the Definitive Edition includes
Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition collects GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. Rockstar lists its release date as November 11, 2021. It is a convenient way to access three major 3D-era games, but it does not include Vice City Stories, Liberty City Stories, GTA Advance, or the HD-era games.
Rank #3
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
Take-Two’s November 11, 2021 announcement said the digital edition was available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through the Rockstar Games Launcher. It listed physical editions for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 as arriving December 7, 2021. Check the current listing for your platform and exact edition before buying, since availability and compatibility can change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where GTA VI fits
As of October 7, 2026, Rockstar’s announced release date for Grand Theft Auto VI is November 19, 2026, a future date. The sources establishing this chronology do not place its story in the series timeline, so this guide ends with GTA V rather than assigning GTA VI an unconfirmed slot. Rockstar’s announcement is at Newswire.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s. CJ’s got to go home - his mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart, and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.
Rank #4
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