Grand Theft Auto VI releases Nov. 19 with new protagonists in Vice City

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, bringing the series back to the fictional state of Leonida after a 13-year wait for a new main installment.

The franchise began in 1997 as a top-down game where players stole vehicles and evaded police in fictional cities. The release of Grand Theft Auto III in 2001 redefined open-world gaming by offering a three-dimensional city for players to explore. Later titles expanded these environments with cinematic storytelling and social satire. Rockstar Games recruited real-life gang members for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto V to add authenticity to background dialogue and characters. Former audio director Lazlow Jones noted that some performers challenged scripted lines, leading developers to allow language drawn from the actors' own experiences. This attention to detail created a sense of a living world, even as the series faced criticism for its depictions of violence and crime.

The new entry returns to Vice City, a fictional version of Miami, and expands across the surrounding state of Leonida. The setting includes beaches, highways, nightlife, and criminal enterprises. The story follows two protagonists, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, a couple trying to improve their lives through crime. Lucia has recently been released from prison. Jason, a former soldier involved with drug runners in the Leonida Keys, seeks a different path. A complicated criminal job draws the pair into a conspiracy spanning the state. Rockstar has revealed supporting characters including bank robber Raul Bautista, aspiring music executive Dre'Quan Priest, and nightclub owner Boobie Ike. Unlike Grand Theft Auto V, which featured three playable main characters, this installment centers on the relationship between Lucia and Jason.

Stephen Root, an actor known for his work in Office Space, King of the Hill, and Barry, has confirmed his involvement in the game. He told The Associated Press in September that he appears in the title. Root has been identified in reports as the voice of Brian Heder, an aging drug runner in the Leonida Keys, though Rockstar has not publicly confirmed that specific casting. The game features an original score by the French electronic duo Justice, consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. Rockstar says the music adapts to player actions and shifts with different environments. A 30-track score album is scheduled for release on December 11. The album includes collaborations with Tame Impala, SZA, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and Gesaffelstein. The game also includes in-game radio stations and a collection of original songs.

Publisher Take-Two Interactive states the franchise has sold more than 470 million units worldwide. Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, accounts for more than 230 million of those sales. That title reached 1 billion dollars in retail sales within three days of its release. The online multiplayer component, Grand Theft Auto Online, has kept players engaged through years of updates and in-game purchases. The new release arrives on newer consoles capable of supporting more elaborate environments. Rockstar has released trailers and promotional previews but has not yet detailed the full range of activities or the specific systems for the game's online experience.