Summer 2025 was touted to be a banner year at the box office, and summer 2026 could be even bigger with new releases including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Fast X: Part 2, and Avengers: Doomsday. Yet, the big screen could get some unexpected competition as the biggest video game launch in years is now set for May 26, 2026, when Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) finally arrives.
If the Rockstar Games title is actually released in 2026, it will come a staggering 13 years after the release of GTA V, the most recent title in the series. That game has sold a whopping 215 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games of all time. People have literally been waiting for GTA 6 for more than a decade, through various abandoned schedules and release dates. In short, this title is expected to be huge when it finally drops, literally and figuratively.
With an estimated file size of just under 200 GB, it promises a vast and detailed open world even larger than the impressive map of the best-selling Red Dead Redemption 2, also made by Rockstar, while featuring significantly improved graphics for next gen systems, better controls, and more immersive gameplay.
The Road to GTA 6: Crime Pays!
To suggest that GTA 6 could be the biggest video game launch in years goes without saying, but that's because the GTA franchise has become a cultural phenomenon like no other. The series in total has sold more than 440 million units worldwide.
It’s hard to believe the original GTA could have been a "one-and-done" release, and it was a very different game from what many people think of when they hear “Grand Theft Auto” today. Originally titled Race 'n' Chase, it was a top-down open-world game where the player took the role of a police officer pursuing criminals.
That certainly doesn't sound all that innovative, even for an industry known to release more of the same, but even the designers found the gameplay dull, and opted to switch the narrative. Instead of chasing criminals, the player takes the role of a low-level associate of an all-too-stereotypical crime family. He has to work his way up the gangland ladder, taking on increasingly challenging jobs while engaging other criminal syndicates and avoiding the police.
It was quite a pivot, but it almost didn't pay off. Grand Theft Auto was released in 1997 for PC and the original Sony Playstation to mixed reviews, with criticism over its plain graphics and clunky controls. Yet, gamers were impressed by its open world, robust musical soundtrack, and ability to play as a proper villain.
More importantly, it created a huge controversy, which might sound like a bad thing for many industries, but not in the world of video games. Part of the legend of its success was how its PR team planted sensational stories that criticized its content, eventually leading to condemnation across Europe, while Brazil even banned it!
That made it a hit, and it sold well enough to warrant a sequel, but it was with the third entry in the series, Grand Theft Auto III (2001), which introduced 3D graphics and third-person gameplay paired with a large open-world sandbox environment.
Plus, there was a whole arsenal of weapons players could use to accomplish the many missions that move the game’s story along, or to just cause general mayhem and chaos until the cops, or the military, take you down, depending how far you take things. Not to mention the fact that you actually got to drive the cars you steal throughout the game, and they all handled differently and some had special capabilities.
And you could steal almost anything in the game on wheels, and a couple planes — but not helicopters, not until the next game.
GTA III became a hit with both critics and gamers alike, ushering in a new era of open-world games when first-person shooters dominated. The resulting and inevitable wave of GTA clones released since have included The Getaway, which in turn spawned the spin-off Gangs of London, which later served as the basis for the hit TV series of the same name, and even a Godfather game that’s pretty much just a reskinned GTA III.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City followed in 2002, which was very similar to GTA III with a new story, characters, weapons, vehicles, maps, and better graphics. Then came Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004, a substantially different and updated game. Grand Theft Auto IV was released in 2008, and it took another five years for the landmark Grand Theft Auto V to be released in 2013.
GTA Cities, Brands, and Personalities
The GTA series is set in entirely fictional cities that are based loosely on actual locations and influenced by various corners of pop culture. The games are also noted for not including any real-world brands, even the cars, which are arguably a huge part of the story.
Yet, gamers saw some real-world (or close facsimiles of) firearms, beginning with GTA III as the series transitioned to its now familiar third-person view. Though none were branded, the designers included easily recognizable firearms to add a sense of "realism."
Initially, the arsenal was rather sparse, with the player having limited options. Since GTA III was released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the graphics also weren't exactly cutting edge by today's standards, and no one would accuse the designers of including the most accurate renderings of firearms. The gun that is supposed to be an M16, for example, appeared to be modeled on the Armalite AR-10, while in the game it had a rate of fire about double that of its real-world counterpart. The game’s version of the AK-47 is even less accurate, reportedly modeled on the Adler-Jäger AP-80 .22 LR clone.
Only with the release of Vice City in 2002 and then San Andreas in 2004 did the selection of firearms and their depiction get significantly better. Through that trilogy of games, the player began with a Colt M1911A1 as the primary weapon. However, in San Andreas, the designers had initially intended to introduce the Glock 17 before returning to the M1911. As a result, the Austrian-made handgun can be seen in some of the cut scenes. That fact may explain why it is described as a "9mm" and has a 17-round magazine.
As the games transitioned to the "high definition" era with 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the in-game firearms improved considerably. Still, they aren’t meant to be accurate depictions — like everything else in the GTA universe, they’re inspired by real guns, but have their own slant. While some of this may be due to designer creativity, many game guns are simply modeled on inaccurate airsoft guns.
The Guns of GTA V
This game had a ton of firearms that players could find or buy and use. Plus, the guns can also be highly customized.
Hawk & Little Combat Pistol
This pistol looks like it’s mostly based on the Beretta Px4 Storm mixed with HK P2000, but there are still a few details that don’t fit either handgun.
Pistol .50 – Desert Eagle
This gun is obviously supposed to be a Desert Eagle in .50AE. For console gamers, this pistol was only part of the special edition of GTA V, but next-gen and PC version have it available for all. It holds 9 rounds of supposed .50-caliber ammo, which is wrong. Its also missing the DE’s beavertail, the trigger guard is the wrong shape, the slide serrations are wrong, and missing a slide lock and manual safety.
The Pistol – Taurus PT92AF / Beretta 92FS
The first gun every player starts with is simply called the “pistol” and it’s clearly supposed to be a take on the Taurus PT92 and Beretta 92 series of 9mm handguns. It holds 12 rounds, while the standard mag for the real guns hold 15, but the in-game gun can hold 16 rounds with the “extended clip” attachment. And while the game claims the 1911-esque pistol is a 9mm, the Beretta clone is, apparently, a .45 ACP, but even that isn’t consistent through the game.
Vom Feuer Assault Shotgun – UTAS UTS-15
This chunky shotgun is based on the UTAS UTS-15 bullpup shotgun asthetically, if not functionally. Unlike the real gun that uses two magazine tubes arranged over the barrel, the in-game gun uses a detachable box magazine and moves the barrel up. And while the UTS-15 is a pump gun, the shotgun in the game runs in full auto like an AA-12 with 8- or 32-round magazines.
Hawk & Little Bullpup Shotgun – Kel-Tec KSG
The more popular bullpup pump-action shtogun the Kel-Tec KSG, shows up with an accurate 14-round capacity
Shrewsbury Pump Shotgun – Mossberg 590
Like any good game with a shooting component, GTA V has a solid pump-action shotgun that is obviously a take on the Mossberg 590, though it’s a bit too short and the forend is a bit too big. It’s outfitted with a heat shield and what looks to be a Magpul CTR stock. It can be fitted with a suppressor that looks and sounds a lot like the Remington Model 11-87 from No Country for Old Men (2007). When the cops come after you in this game, this is the shotgun they’re firing at you.
Vom Feuer Carbine Rifle – Custom AR-15
The game’s carbine rifle is a custom AR with the following components (guessing):
- A collapsible ACE skeleton stock (which doesn’t exist)
- Northtech Billet lower
- Flat-Top ERGO pistol grip
- VLTOR Upper
- Daniel Defense MFR 9.0 handguard
- AAC Blackout flash hider
- Mix of MBUS and Troy folding iron sights
You can also fit the gun with what looks like an ELCAN SpectrDR scope, which functions as a red dot in the game, a Surefire-looking flashlight, a Magpul AFG2 foregrip, and a KAC suppressor.
Shrewsbury Assault Rifle – Chinese Type 56-2
Of course this game had an AK, but this time, it looks to be modeled on a Chinese Type 56-2, judging by the full-ring front sight and the folding stock. The gun is fitted with an aftermarket handguard, an upgraded pistol grip, a Magpul AFG2 foregrip, flashlight, and suppressor.
Vom Feuer Marksman Rifle – Ruger Mini Thirty
The Marksman Rifle, funnily, is part of the sniper rifle class and came with the “Last Team Standing” DLC. While it’s obviously supposed to be a Ruger Mini thirty, it has the same ACE stock as the carbine and feeds from a curved magazine. Players favored this gun because it’s the only one in the sniper class that allows the player to move while aiming through the scope, even though it is low magnification.
Coming Soon: GTA 6 Returns to Vice City
When it arrives next year, GTA 6 will return the gameplay to the Miami-and-Scarface-inspired Vice City, featuring a Bonnie and Clyde-styled duo as the playable characters. Though exact story details are sketchy, it promises to feature more open-world mayhem.
Likewise, the number of firearms to be included isn't known, but it will almost certainly be as significant in size as the most recent titles. From officially released game trailers, as well as some of the leaked content, we can expect at least half a dozen handguns including the returning M1911, along with the SIG Sauer P320 and Beretta 92FS; as well favorite long guns including modern AR-15s, made by "Duke"—the same parody company based on Colt that produced the 1851 Navy inspired revolver in Red Dead Redemption II and Grand Theft Auto Online.
A sure-to-be crowd pleaser will be the inclusion of the Milkor Mark 14 MGL (Multiple Grenade Launcher), which can be seen causing GTA-style mayhem in the trailers. From the trailers and images that have been released so far, it looks like the designers definitely paind closer attention to getting the guns right in this installment.
The fun (and bedlam) begins next May!
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