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If you want a game to play while waiting for Grand Theft Auto VI, start with Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition for the closest street-level crime feel. Choose Red Dead Redemption 2 for Rockstar-style world immersion, Cyberpunk 2077 for a modern-city RPG, Watch Dogs 2 for hacking, Mafia 3 for organized-crime drama, Saints Row for comic customization, or Payday 2 for cooperative heists. None reproduces every part of GTA: each matches a different ingredient.
Rockstar currently lists Grand Theft Auto VI as coming November 19, 2026, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S listed. Its story follows Jason and Lucia through a criminal conspiracy spanning Leonida, so the recommendations below are organized by the kind of freedom, crime story, city, combat, or multiplayer play you want next.
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| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | Closest street-crime substitute | Open-world urban crime story with martial-arts combat, driving and stunt action | Nov 2026 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Rockstar-style immersion | Expansive western world, emergent encounters and character-led outlaw story | Nov 2026 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Modern-city RPG | Night City, RPG progression, driving, gigs and crime-adjacent activities | Nov 2026 |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Hacking and urban systems | San Francisco Bay Area, DedSec, ctOS 2.0 and systemic city interaction | Nov 2026 |
| Mafia 3 | Organized-crime drama | Slower-burning, story-centered campaign about building criminal power | Nov 2026 |
| Saints Row | Comic chaos and customization | Santo Ileso, criminal factions, more than 80 rides and extensive customization | Nov 2026 |
| Payday 2 | Cooperative heists | Planned break-ins and squad play rather than a free-roaming crime city | Nov 2026 |
Which game is most like GTA 6?
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is the closest overall match if “like GTA 6” means a contemporary urban crime story with cars, street action and a protagonist caught inside criminal organizations. Its undercover-crime setup and martial-arts combat make it distinct, but its city-scale structure and stunt-driven action feel closer to a GTA-style fantasy than the other recommendations.
That answer changes with your priority. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the better choice for a living world and freedom to roam; Cyberpunk 2077 for a dense modern metropolis and deep character builds; Watch Dogs 2 for hacking and satire; Mafia 3 for a focused mafia narrative; Saints Row for outrageous customization; and Payday 2 for coordinated robbery missions with friends.
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What are the best open-world crime games like GTA 6?
1. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition — closest street-level crime feel
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition should be your first stop if you want the most direct substitute for an urban crime adventure. GamesRadar characterizes it as an open-world crime game built around martial arts and B-movie stunt action, and the Definitive Edition is associated with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One re-release.
The key difference is how you fight. Instead of making firearms the default answer to every problem, the game puts hand-to-hand combat, counters and environmental attacks at the center of its action. That gives street confrontations a physical, choreographed quality, while driving and stunt sequences preserve the kinetic feel expected from a crime sandbox.
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- Choose it for: modern streets, martial-arts combat, driving, set-piece stunts and an undercover-crime story.
- Expect instead of GTA: more emphasis on melee combat and a tighter campaign structure.
- Skip it if: your priority is a huge contemporary city filled with deep role-playing systems or online co-op.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 — best Rockstar-style world immersion
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the recommendation for readers who value the way Rockstar builds places, characters and incidental events more than they value a modern city. It is a western, not a contemporary crime sandbox, but its detailed world, freedom to roam and emergent encounters make it the strongest match for GTA’s sense of inhabiting a larger society.
You trade traffic, skyscrapers and sports cars for horses, frontier towns, wilderness travel and period weapons. That change is fundamental: transportation is slower and the setting is historical, so the fantasy is outlaw life rather than urban criminal entrepreneurship. The payoff is a world where travel, camp life, chance encounters and character relationships carry substantial narrative weight.
The story is character-led and more deliberate than a typical crime free-for-all. Missions often build toward consequences for the gang and its members, while exploration can lead to encounters that are unrelated to the main plot. If GTA VI’s appeal to you is the promise of a richly observed world around Jason and Lucia, this is the closest match in terms of environmental immersion.
- Choose it for: world density, emergent encounters, roaming freedom and an outlaw ensemble.
- Expect instead of GTA: a western setting, slower travel and no modern-car or contemporary-city fantasy.
- Skip it if: you specifically want hacking, modern firearms culture or a bright coastal metropolis.
3. Cyberpunk 2077 — best modern-city RPG
Cyberpunk 2077 fits readers who want a dense city, driving and criminal work filtered through role-playing systems. CD PROJEKT RED describes Night City as a “deadly megalopolis” and presents the game as part of a wider Cyberpunk universe that includes the Phantom Liberty spy-thriller expansion and the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime.
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Its urban design is the closest on this list to the scale and visual variety implied by Vice City and Leonida, but the genre is different. You build a character, choose abilities and approach gigs through cybernetic upgrades, weapons and dialogue decisions. Crime is part of the setting and mission economy, yet the game is fundamentally a science-fiction RPG rather than a conventional gangland story.
Driving remains important for crossing Night City, while gigs and side activities let you move between story missions and shorter jobs. The result is a city that feels built around systems and character progression rather than only around a linear crime plot.
The official Cyberpunk site currently shows PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 imagery. Storefront editions and platform availability can vary by region and edition, so confirm the listing for your system before buying.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Choose it for: a modern metropolis, RPG builds, driving, gigs and a science-fiction crime atmosphere.
- Expect instead of GTA: cybernetic powers, dialogue-driven progression and a more overtly role-playing structure.
- Skip it if: you want grounded contemporary crime without futuristic technology.
4. Watch Dogs 2 — best hacking and urban systems
Watch Dogs 2 is the best match when the part of GTA you enjoy most is manipulating a city’s infrastructure. Ubisoft identifies Marcus Holloway as a young hacker in the San Francisco Bay Area and places him with DedSec, a group opposing the city’s ctOS 2.0 surveillance system. The official page categorizes it as an Action / Adventure Open World game and lists PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Hacking changes how you read the environment. Cameras, vehicles, security devices and connected systems become tools for scouting, distracting guards or creating routes through missions. You can still drive and use weapons, but the game’s defining question is usually “What can I control from here?” rather than “How do I win a shootout?”
The tone is also more satirical and youthful than a traditional mafia drama. San Francisco’s technology culture supplies the setting, while DedSec’s activism gives missions a social and political angle. That makes Watch Dogs 2 a strong alternative if GTA’s radio satire, cultural commentary and city-as-a-plaything appeal to you.
- Choose it for: hacking, stealth options, urban satire and systemic interaction.
- Expect instead of GTA: technology-driven missions and a hacker collective rather than a criminal empire.
- Skip it if: you want hand-to-hand combat, heavyweight role-playing or a grim organized-crime tone.
5. Mafia 3 — best organized-crime story
Mafia 3 is the choice for a reader who wants the criminal organization itself to be the subject of the story. GamesRadar places the Mafia series among the natural starting points for open-world organized-crime fans and describes Mafia 3 as a slower-burning, story-centered experience.
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Its focus is power-building and retaliation rather than constant sandbox improvisation. The campaign follows a deliberate dramatic arc, with criminal operations and territory control supporting the narrative. That structure can feel more grounded than GTA’s rapid shifts between satire, spectacle and criminal opportunity.
The trade-off is freedom. Mafia 3 should not be sold as a more free-form sandbox than GTA. Its open areas provide room to drive, investigate and attack targets, but the main appeal is the story’s momentum and the sense of building an organization under pressure.
- Choose it for: mafia themes, a measured pace and a campaign centered on criminal power.
- Expect instead of GTA: a more directed story and less playful systemic freedom.
- Skip it if: your ideal game is a lighthearted city playground with endless unrelated activities.
6. Saints Row — best comic chaos and customization
Saints Row deliberately moves away from realistic crime drama. Its official page describes the game as giving players freedom to express themselves in “the weird, wild west,” with character expression, criminal factions, vehicle customization, weapon customization and more than 80 rides.
Santo Ileso is built for spectacle and personalization. You can shape the look of your character, tune vehicles and modify weapons while taking on rival factions in exaggerated missions. The game’s humor and set pieces are the point: it treats criminal ambition as a playground for absurd stunts rather than as a serious examination of organized crime.
That tone makes Saints Row a useful counterweight to the other picks. If you want the freedom to create a distinctive character and experiment with vehicles and weapons, it offers more expressive options than a grounded crime story. If you want believable gang politics, its comedy may work against you.
- Choose it for: customization, outrageous missions, faction battles and vehicle variety.
- Expect instead of GTA: comedy, exaggerated physics and a less realistic crime world.
- Skip it if: you are looking for a serious undercover or mafia narrative.
7. Payday 2 — best cooperative-heist specialization
Payday 2 belongs on this list as an adjacent recommendation rather than as a full open-world replacement. GamesRadar highlights its cooperative break-ins, robbery planning and squad-play appeal for people who enjoyed GTA’s heists.
The attraction is preparation and execution with other players. A successful job depends on choosing an approach, coordinating roles and reacting when a quiet plan turns into a firefight. That creates the tension of a GTA heist without requiring a broad, free-roaming city between missions.
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Because it is organized around discrete heists, Payday 2 does not provide the same sense of driving across a living metropolis, discovering unrelated encounters or pursuing a single character-led crime saga. Think of it as the specialist option for the robbery fantasy, not the all-purpose substitute.
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- Choose it for: cooperative planning, squad communication and repeatable robbery scenarios.
- Expect instead of GTA: mission-based heists rather than a continuous open-world crime story.
- Skip it if: you primarily play solo or want exploration to be the main activity.
How do these GTA-like games differ by feature?
The following comparison separates the ingredients instead of treating every game as an identical GTA replacement.
| Game | Setting | Crime role | Signature interaction | Story and play structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | Contemporary urban city | Undercover criminal investigation | Martial arts, driving and stunts | Character-led open-world campaign |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Historical American West | Outlaw gang life | Roaming, emergent encounters and frontier travel | Expansive character-led western |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Futuristic Night City | Gigs and crime-adjacent mercenary work | RPG builds, cyberware and driving | Quest-driven RPG with open exploration |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Modern San Francisco Bay Area | Hacktivist disruption | Hacking connected city systems | Open-world action with stealth and satire |
| Mafia 3 | Grounded period crime setting | Organized-crime power-building | Territory operations and directed missions | Slower-burning story campaign |
| Saints Row | Fictional Santo Ileso | Criminal factions | Character, vehicle and weapon customization | Comic open-world action |
| Payday 2 | Mission locations rather than one continuous city | Planned robberies | Cooperative heist execution | Squad-based heist missions |
What should you play before GTA VI?
Pick the game that rehearses the part of GTA VI you are most curious about, not the title with the most familiar logo or setting. Rockstar’s current description puts Jason and Lucia in Vice City, USA, within a conspiracy spanning Leonida; that suggests a modern coastal setting and criminal partnership, but it does not mean every alternative will match its tone or mechanics.
- Want street crime, cars and physical fights? Start with Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition.
- Want Rockstar’s environmental detail and unscripted encounters? Play Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Want a city full of builds, side jobs and driving? Choose Cyberpunk 2077.
- Want to treat the city as a machine you can manipulate? Choose Watch Dogs 2.
- Want a serious climb through criminal organizations? Choose Mafia 3.
- Want expressive characters, modified rides and absurd missions? Choose Saints Row.
- Want to plan robberies with friends? Choose Payday 2.
Are these games available on the same consoles as GTA VI?
No. Rockstar currently lists GTA VI for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while the alternatives span different generations and editions. The supplied platform information specifically lists PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the Sleeping Dogs re-release, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for Watch Dogs 2, and PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 imagery for Cyberpunk 2077.
Platform listings, backward-compatibility support and storefront editions can change by region. Check the current store page for your console or computer before purchase, especially for older releases and versions bundled with expansions.
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Use three questions to narrow the list. First, decide whether you want a believable crime drama or a heightened fantasy. Mafia 3 and Sleeping Dogs stay closer to grounded crime, while Saints Row embraces comedy and Cyberpunk 2077 replaces realism with science fiction.
Second, decide what “open world” means to you. Red Dead Redemption 2 emphasizes roaming and discovery; Watch Dogs 2 emphasizes interacting with connected systems; Cyberpunk 2077 emphasizes quests and character builds; and Mafia 3 emphasizes a directed story inside open areas. Payday 2 is the exception because its replay value comes from heists rather than free exploration.
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Third, decide whether you play alone or with a group. The main recommendations are campaign-focused, while Payday 2 is designed around cooperative planning and execution. Choosing by this preference prevents disappointment when a game matches GTA’s heists but not its city or when it matches the city but not its criminal tone.
How we picked these recommendations
The ranking weighs the comparison axes most relevant to a GTA-like request: modern-city setting, centrality of crime, driving, shooting or melee combat, systemic freedom, role-playing depth, heist or co-op support, story focus, tone and world density. Sleeping Dogs leads because it overlaps with the largest number of core street-crime elements. The remaining order reflects a distinct strength—immersion, modern-city RPG systems, hacking, organized-crime drama, customization or co-op heists—rather than a claim that one game is universally superior.
Will any game fully replace GTA VI?
No single recommendation reproduces GTA VI’s combination of contemporary setting, criminal story, driving, shooting, satire and open-ended city play. Red Dead Redemption 2 changes the era and transportation fantasy; Cyberpunk 2077 changes the genre toward science-fiction role-playing; Watch Dogs 2 makes hacking the central interaction; Saints Row changes the tone to comedy; and Payday 2 narrows the experience to cooperative heists.
That is why a preference-based shortlist is more useful than a single “GTA clone.” Start with Sleeping Dogs for the nearest street-level feel, then move to the title that matches the specific feature you want to spend time with before Rockstar’s currently listed November 19, 2026 release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sleeping Dogs closer to GTA than Mafia 3?
For most players seeking moment-to-moment street action, yes: Sleeping Dogs combines urban driving, melee combat and stunt sequences with an undercover-crime plot. Mafia 3 is the better fit when the priority is a slower, more focused organized-crime story rather than broad action variety.
Which GTA-like game has the best hacking gameplay?
Watch Dogs 2 is the clearest choice because hacking connected devices and city infrastructure is its defining interaction. Cyberpunk 2077 includes technology and cybernetic abilities, but its core progression is an RPG system rather than a city-hacking sandbox.
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Can I play Payday 2 as a single-player GTA alternative?
You can approach its heists alone with computer-controlled partners, but its design is centered on coordinating a human squad. Choose it for robbery planning and repeatable missions, not for wandering through one continuous crime city.
Does Red Dead Redemption 2 take place in the same era as GTA VI?
No. Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in a historical western world, while GTA VI is described by Rockstar as a modern story in Vice City and the wider Leonida region. The comparison is about immersion, freedom and emergent encounters rather than matching technology or transportation.
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