General Details

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V or GTA 5) is the current major installment of the Grand Theft Auto Series of which it is the fifteenth individual title overall. Work began not long after Grand Theft Auto IV wrapped up and, like many of Rockstar's recent titles, multiple studios contributed to different aspects of the game with Rockstar North taking the lead.

Full Title: Grand Theft Auto V
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Official Website: http://www.rockstargames.com/v/
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 4+Vita, Xbox One, PlayStation 5
Multiplayer: GTA Online - Up To 16 Players (old-gen), Up to 30 players (new-gen)
Release Date: Worldwide September 17th, 2013; Japan October 10th, 2013; PlayStation 4/Xbox One November 18th, 2014; PC April 14th, 2015; PlayStation 5 late 2021; Xbox Series X 2021?
Rating: ESRB Mature, BBFC 18, PEGI 18

Synopsis

Since being announced, a few different statements have been made about GTA V:

"Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.

A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California."

"Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V takes place in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California in the largest and most thriving game-world we have ever created set in the sprawling city of Los Santos and for miles beyond - from the tops of the mountains to the depths of the ocean."

Timeline

Grand Theft Auto V was officially announced on October 25, 2011 with the debut trailer set for November 2. After staying quiet about GTA V through Max Payne's release, some screenshots were released later in 2012 and on October 30, 2012 the game was officially announced to be arriving sometime in Spring 2013.

A second trailer was scheduled one year after the first, however, Hurricane Sandy disrupted much of the Northeast US including New York City which suffered a blackout in lower Manhattan - where Rockstar Games HQ is located. The second trailer was pushed back to November 14th. Around the second trailer, the first media previews were posted online divulging juicy details about GTA V.

The next few months brought more screenshots and artworks to keep us occupied. The official cover art was promised by the end of January but that did not happen. On January 31, 2013 GTA V was delayed with an official release date of September 17, 2013. The launch was met with GTA Online unlocking two weeks later although with some difficulty for many users. Numerous contents packs were released following the game's launch including some holiday themed ones.

In June 2014 Rockstar finally announced a PC version as well as a launch on the PS4 and Xbox One consoles. The new version of the game utilizes the increased capabilities of all the devices to deliver enhanced graphics and gameplay including more traffic, denser plant life, and additional animals. Release dates were later set for November 18th, 2014 for the new consoles and January 27th, 2015 for PC. The PC version was then delayed 2 weeks before the intended release and re-set for March 24th, 2015. Then a month before that date the PC version was pushed back yet again to April 14th, 2015.

June 2020 brought the news that Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online would be making their way onto the next generation consoles including the PlayStation 5 with a tentative release period for the second half of 2021. Just as before, Rockstar Games stated the title would be enhanced using the full power of the new consoles.