The best games to play while you wait for ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’

It’s been more than a year since Rockstar Games released the teaser trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 and quickly broke the internet. But since the first reveal, the studio hasn’t exactly been generous with updates about the new GTA. We know it’ll see players return to Vice City and is due later this year but beyond that…nothing else has been confirmed.

To stop you constantly refreshing social media in pursuit of more news, we’ve put together a list of essential games to play while you wait for the new GTA. From gritty crime dramas to high-octane racers and beyond, there’s something for all fans of the franchise.

Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

CD Projekt RED’s open-world action adventure game sees players get to grips with the dystopian world of Night City — a dangerous megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and ceaseless body modification. It’s a little more fantastical than Grand Theft Auto but the grimy streets of Night City will soon feel like home thanks to the game’s enthralling narrative. And that’s before we even get to the glorious gunplay and freedom offered by its absolutely massive map, making Cyberpunk 2077 the perfect distraction for any restless GTA fans.

EA Sports FC 2024 (2023)

Platform: All of them

There are a lot of reasons to play Grand Theft Auto but since the release of 3 in 2001, the games have become a place of music discovery. From Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre to Blondie, Toto and The Human League, the expansive, eclectic in-game radio routinely brings together timeless classics with buzzy new superstars. The only other game to come close to this level of impact is the long-running FIFA franchise, now known as EA Sports FC. If you want some new tunes for your playlists, this is the place to find them.

GTA Online (2013)

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

This might seem like an obvious choice because Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most recent GTA game, but the world of Online has evolved far beyond the base game. With a number of dedicated role-playing servers and a fiercely dedicated playerbase, GTA Online remains an excitable hub for fans of the franchise. It’s still so popular that it’s rumoured Rockstar Games are pulling heavy influence from the game for GTA 6, with the publisher acquiring the team behind one of the leading roleplay servers in 2023.

Mafia: Definitive Edition (2020)

Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

The Definitive Edition of Mafia is an expanded remake of the 2002 original, which sees players take to the fictional city of Lost Heaven during the 1930s. The open-world action game follows the exploits of cab driver-turned-gangster Tommy Angelo as he climbs the ranks of the Salieri family via a series of legally questionable missions. As well as toying with the police, players can use various cars and motorbikes to speed up their criminal career, which is sure to delight seasoned GTA players.

Need For Speed: Unbound (2022)

Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

One of the best things about Grand Theft Auto is the reckless car chases players find themselves in. While a lot of racing games focus on performance and perfectly-executed gear changes, Need For Speed: Unbound is a gritty street racing game that sees the return of the “Heat System”, which allows players to build up notoriety with the police as they commit increasingly daring crimes. It gives Need For Speed: Unbound a sense of urgency, with players able to dial up the danger at will and live with the consequences (or die trying).

Palworld (2024)

Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Despite how massive the franchise has become, Grand Theft Auto has never taken itself too seriously. Fans into the series’ quirky sense of humour might find something to like in Palworld. Known affectionately as Pokémon with guns (though maybe don’t say that in front of Nintendo), the survival monster-taming game is as cute as it is chaotic, mainly because players are given the freedom to cause as much carnage as they want.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

In the years since Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto 5, the studio has been hard at work on the gun-slinging western Red Dead Redemption 2. Following outlaw Arthur Morgan who has to deal with government forces, rival gangs and the decline of the old west, it’s an epic in every way. Not only is the action-adventure game a brutal, narrative-driven masterpiece, but it also showcases what graphical and gameplay improvements developers could bring to Grand Theft Auto with the next instalment.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run (2003)

Platform: Xbox 360, PC

The Simpsons: Hit & Run may have taken heavy inspiration from the world of Grand Theft Auto, but this cartoonish rampage through the streets of Springfield has become one of the most beloved cult games of all time. Featuring alien conspiracies, timed quests and a general sense of recklessness, the game is easy to pick up but impossible to put down with players tasked with returning normality to the world of The Simpsons. Created alongside the team behind the TV show, Hit & Run is as hilarious and outrageous as you’d expect. Now all we need is a remake.

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (2012)

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

Featuring 24 different expansions, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is absolutely massive. Set in Hong Kong, this gritty undercover cop drama has it all. From illegal street races and a winding narrative to impressive hand-to-hand combat and the occasional burst of karaoke, it’s a game that makes full use of its open-world setting. The constant danger of having your cover blown adds a layer of intensity to the game, but the vibrant setting makes for one hell of a good time.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon (2020)

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

Following in the footsteps of Fallout and The Last Of Us, Yakuza: Like A Dragon is the latest video game to inspire a TV adaptation. And from what we’ve seen so far, it looks great. The stakes are high, though, considering the eighth game in the long-running Yakuza series is already one of the most adored. Following new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga, the turn-based RPG has players battling betrayal and questioning loyalty in the criminal underbelly of Japan. Every corner of the rich landscape can be turned into a weapon, making Yakuza: Like A Dragon a deviously entertaining adventure that will really speak to GTA fans.

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