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Grand Theft Auto III turns 25 on October 22, 2026, exactly 25 years after its original release. The anniversary arrives 28 days before Rockstar’s confirmed November 19, 2026 launch date for Grand Theft Auto VI, creating a direct link between the game that established Rockstar’s modern 3D formula and its next major open-world chapter.
When is GTA III’s 25th anniversary?
Rockstar’s release record dates Grand Theft Auto III to October 22, 2001. Its 25th anniversary falls on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The date is a calendar anniversary, not a published sales or player-count milestone; Rockstar has not announced a specific anniversary event in the material available for this story.
At the time, GTA III marked a decisive transition for the series from a top-down crime game into a fully 3D open-world experience. That design shift remains central to why the anniversary matters now.
Why GTA III changed open-world games
Rockstar describes GTA III as “the game that defined the open-world genre for a generation.” Its 2001 design combined several systems that had rarely been presented together at that scale.
#1 Best Overall
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
A fully 3D Liberty City
GTA III presented Liberty City as a navigable 3D environment rather than a collection of separate levels. Players could drive through neighborhoods, explore streets on foot and choose how to approach missions. The city was not merely a backdrop: its roads, vehicles, pedestrians, weapons and police response formed the framework for the entire game.
Nonlinear freedom
The campaign offered missions and activities without forcing players through a single strictly linear sequence. Players could follow story objectives, explore, acquire vehicles, cause trouble or return to earlier areas. That freedom became a defining expectation for later open-world games.
Rank #2
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s. CJ’s got to go home - his mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart, and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.
Cinematic storytelling and radio
Rockstar’s own description highlights cinematic storytelling alongside signature radio stations. Each station paired a curated playlist with a DJ host, giving the player a persistent audio world while driving. The combination of scripted crime drama, satirical broadcasts and free-roaming travel helped establish the series’ recognizable tone.
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Where you can play GTA III today
The current officially announced route to a modern console version is Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, which includes GTA III alongside the other two games in the original trilogy.
Rank #3
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
| Version or format | What is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Original-era releases | The 2001 version represents the game as originally released, with its period hardware, controls and presentation. |
| The Definitive Edition | GTA III is included in the compilation, allowing access through a modern packaged release. |
| Announced console platforms | Rockstar announced digital availability and physical editions for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. |
| Purchase format | Availability differs by platform and region; check the store or retailer listing before buying. |
The announcement confirms the compilation and its release formats, but it does not establish a universal performance target for every platform. Resolution, frame rate, control behavior and other technical details can vary by hardware and edition, so buyers should verify the current listing for their specific console.
GTA III and GTA VI: the series’ handoff from 2001 to 2026
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for November 19, 2026, 28 days after GTA III’s anniversary. Rockstar says the additional development time is intended to provide the level of polish expected for the new release.
Rank #4
| Category | GTA III | GTA VI |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | October 22, 2001 | November 19, 2026 |
| Primary setting | Liberty City | Modern-day Vice City and the wider state of Leonida |
| Series role | Established Rockstar’s fully 3D open-world template | Returns the series to Vice City in a new modern setting |
| Confirmed console platforms | Definitive Edition announced for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S |
| Confirmed editions | Included in a compilation | Standard Edition and Ultimate Edition preorders listed by Rockstar Support |
The comparison is about lineage rather than identical technology. GTA III supplied the structure—an explorable city, nonlinear missions, cinematic presentation and radio-driven travel—that later entries expanded. GTA VI applies that approach to a contemporary Vice City and Leonida, built for current-generation consoles.
What is included in the GTA VI editions?
Rockstar Support lists Standard and Ultimate Editions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S preorders. A physical version is also listed with a digital-download code, allowing preload support rather than requiring the disc to contain the complete playable installation.
Best Value
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
- Standard Edition: The standard preorder option listed for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Ultimate Edition: A separate preorder tier listed by Rockstar Support; buyers should review the current regional listing for its exact contents.
- Physical package: Includes a digital-download code for preload support.
Prices, inventory and edition contents can differ by country and retailer. Verify the platform, region, price, delivery format and whether a listing is a preorder before completing a purchase.
How to choose a way to revisit GTA III
- Choose the original experience if you specifically want the 2001 presentation and hardware-era feel.
- Choose The Definitive Edition if you want GTA III bundled with the other two trilogy games on one of the announced modern consoles.
- Check your console first. The announced platforms are Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4; confirm the exact store listing for your region.
- Review technical details before buying. Do not assume that every platform has identical graphics, controls or performance.
Why the anniversary matters before GTA VI
GTA III’s 25th anniversary offers a useful historical checkpoint. In 2001, its fully 3D Liberty City and nonlinear structure helped define what players expected from an open-world crime game. In 2026, GTA VI carries that established formula into modern Vice City and Leonida, with current-generation console support and multiple preorder editions. The 28-day gap between the two dates makes the connection unusually clear: the game that set Rockstar’s open-world template reaches a quarter-century just before the next major evolution arrives.
Quick Recap
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