GTA VI vs GTA V: what's different, confirmed so far

GTA V is the yardstick for almost everything said about GTA VI, and Rockstar has drawn several of the comparisons itself.

Verdict: Confirmed: GTA VI has two playable leads where GTA V had three, a map Rockstar calls roughly twice the size of GTA V's, and a wanted level of six stars against GTA V's five. Inference, High confidence: aiming is more manual, with lighter aim assist and more recoil than GTA V. Not yet known: how the two compare in play, because nobody outside Rockstar has played the finished game.

How many protagonists does GTA VI have compared with GTA V?

Two, against GTA V's three. GTA V let you switch between Franklin, Michael and Trevor, who each had their own home and skills and largely separate stories. GTA VI's Jason and Lucia are a couple who work as partners.

Is GTA VI's map bigger than GTA V's?

Yes, by Rockstar's account. Rockstar North's Aaron Garbut told Game Informer that Leonida is the studio's biggest world, about twice the size of GTA V's, and denser. Rob Nelson puts Vice City alone at about twice the size of Los Santos, and the towns outside it at about eleven times what GTA V had outside its city.

Those are comparisons, not measurements. Fans who measure their own map put Leonida's land at about 85.6 km², against just under 50 km² for GTA V on the same measure, about 1.7 times. That map is built partly on leaked material, so treat it as an estimate.

Can you go inside more buildings in GTA VI than in GTA V?

Yes, Rockstar says so, without giving a number. Rob Nelson says you can enter "a lot of buildings, a lot, a huge number", and Garbut says the studio reached "a critical mass" of interiors.

How is GTA VI's wanted system different from GTA V's?

It goes to six stars, one more than GTA V's five. Police also build up a description of Jason and Lucia, shown as icons under the stars: what they look like, what they're wearing, what they're driving and whether they're together, and they remember it for longer than in earlier games.

Is shooting different in GTA VI?

Probably. Previews describe no hard auto-aim by default, lighter adjustable aim assist and more recoil than in GTA V. That's an inference from what press were shown, not a settings screen.

Does GTA VI look better than GTA V?

Rockstar points to its people: they vary in height, body type, skin detail, tattoos, hair and clothing far more than in its previous games. A fair side-by-side needs the finished game on the same console.

Is GTA VI longer than GTA V?

Nobody can compare yet. Rob Nelson's own playthrough, in February 2026, took about 80 hours, including optional goals. On HowLongToBeat's player averages, GTA V's main story takes about 32 hours, and doing everything about 89½. One is a developer's full run and the other a player average, so they don't measure the same thing.

Does GTA VI have an online mode like GTA V?

Not at launch, as far as Take-Two has said. Its CEO described GTA VI as launching as a single-player experience, and said Take-Two will keep supporting the existing GTA Online.

Is GTA VI better than GTA V?

Nobody outside Rockstar can say yet. There are no reviews, and Rockstar hasn't announced when they'll be allowed. What's on record is the scale: fewer leads, a bigger map, a deeper police system.

What changes this: the game itself on 19 November and the first reviews, which can make the comparisons that Rockstar's marketing can't.