Do I need to play GTA 5 before GTA 6?

No. GTA 6 is a new standalone story in a new place (Leonida) with new leads, Lucia and Jason. You can start fresh.

How does GTA 6 start?

Rockstar has not shown the first mission. Its bios have Lucia Caminos fresh out of a Leonida prison and Jason Duval working for local drug runners in the Keys, and the story follows them as a criminal couple.

Is there a GTA 6 beginner walkthrough?

Not here. Early-mission tips depend on playing the game, so this guide covers the decisions you make before you start.

GTA 6 beginner guide: every pre-launch decision, sorted

Between now and November 19, 2026 there are exactly seven decisions a new GTA 6 player actually has to make: which edition, which console, storage, pre-load, family settings if you are buying for someone else, knowing where the story starts, and not getting scammed while you wait. This guide takes them one at a time, the way a friend who has done the homework would.

1. Pick your edition: $79.99 or $99.99

Rockstar’s game lineup has two editions, Standard at $79.99 and Ultimate at $99.99 in the US, confirmed with the June 25, 2026 pre-orders. Every purchase before November 20, 2026 also includes the Vintage Vice City Pack (the two-tone ’55 Vapid Stanier with a garage, outfits and hairstyles for Jason and Lucia, and a weapon pattern). A digital copy bought by November 19 also includes one free month of GTA+, which auto-renews; a boxed copy does not. Rockstar’s Vice City Collection is a separate collector’s box, merchandise sold apart from the game, so ignore any listing for a bundled Collector edition of the game itself. What you are deciding is whether the Ultimate extras are worth $20 to you; our editions comparison breaks down exactly what each tier includes so you can decide in two minutes.

2. Pick your console (skip this if you already own one)

GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S only, with no PS4 or Xbox One version and no PC version or date announced. If you are buying hardware for this game, read the console decision guide and the fuller PS5 vs Xbox comparison before spending several hundred dollars on the basis of a forum argument.

3. Clear the storage now, not on launch night

Rockstar says the GTA 6 pre-load will require up to 212 GB of available space, depending on your device, and it gives no split by console. Deleting old games takes minutes, but buying and installing an SSD expansion (which Series S owners in particular may need) takes days if you have to order one. The file-size guide sets that figure against each console’s drive and the storage checklist walks through the cleanup.

4. Mark November 10: pre-load day

Digital pre-orders can pre-load from November 10, 2026, nine days early: at midnight local time on PS5 and at 12 a.m. GMT on Xbox Series X and S. The game is then downloaded and ready before launch on the 19th. A large download started on launch night is how you end up watching a progress bar while your friends play. How it works, including for boxed download-code copies, which Rockstar said should be available from retailers beginning November 12, is in the pre-load guide. Pre-loading only downloads the game: the PlayStation Store listings unlock it at midnight in each region, for example New Zealand at 11:00 UTC on November 18, then the UK at 00:00 UTC and the US at 05:00 UTC (midnight Eastern) on November 19. Rockstar has not published its own unlock-time table (see release time).

5. Buying for a household? Set the controls first

GTA 6 carries an adult rating: Mature 17+ from the ESRB, USK 18 in Germany and CERO Z in Japan, and the Korean PlayStation Store lists it as 19+. It is easier to configure console family settings before the game is in the machine than after an argument about it. If you are a parent buying for a mixed-age household, the parents guide covers the rating, what the game actually contains, and step-by-step PS5 and Xbox parental controls.

6. Know where the story starts (no spoilers needed)

GTA 6 follows a criminal couple. Rockstar’s bios have Lucia Caminos fresh out of a Leonida prison, determined to make only smart moves; Jason Duval grew up around grifters and crooks and ended up in the Keys working for local drug runners. You do not need to have played GTA 5, or any earlier game: this is a new story, new state, new cast. The story overview and full cast cover everything Rockstar has published.

7. Do not fall for the pre-launch scams

There is no GTA 6 beta, no early-access build, and no legitimate discounted download keys before release. Every beta invite, key reseller listing, or APK download you see between now and launch is a scam, some of them credential-stealing. The no-beta explainer covers why, and what the fakes look like.

Thinking about online

Take-Two said at its September 17 annual meeting that Rockstar will keep supporting GTA Online after GTA 6 launches and reaffirmed GTA 6 as a single-player title (reported by Beebom). Rockstar has not announced an online mode for GTA 6, so it should not drive any purchase decision today. If you are planning for it anyway, the GTA 6 Online hub states what is confirmed and what is not announced.