Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto game, ‘Grand Theft Auto VI,’ launches Nov. 19 with a Vice City story starring Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval and an expanded music lineup.
The Story
“Grand Theft Auto VI” is set to release on Nov. 19, ending a 13-year wait since the franchise’s last main instalment and bringing players back to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional version of Miami, with two protagonists.
Set across Vice City and the surrounding state of Leonida—Florida-inspired territory described as including beaches, highways, nightlife and criminal enterprises—the game follows Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, a couple trying to improve their circumstances through a life of crime.
The story begins with Lucia recently released from prison, while Jason, described as a former soldier involved with drug runners in the Leonida Keys, is seeking a different path. A criminal job that initially appears straightforward goes wrong and draws them into a broader conspiracy spanning Leonida.
Rockstar has highlighted supporting characters including bank robber Raul Bautista, aspiring music executive Dre’Quan Priest and nightclub owner Boobie Ike, while the game’s trailers indicate a mix of romance, robberies and betrayals alongside the series’ satirical take on American culture.
The franchise, which began in 1997, has sold on a massive scale, with publisher Take-Two Interactive saying the series has sold more than 470 million units worldwide. “Grand Theft Auto V,” released in 2013, accounts for more than 230 million of those units and reached $1 billion in retail sales in just three days.
“Grand Theft Auto VI” is positioning itself around the relationship between its two playable leads, Lucia and Jason, contrasting with “Grand Theft Auto V,” which featured three playable main characters.
The game is also drawing attention for its music. Rockstar says “Grand Theft Auto VI” will include an original score by Justice, the Grammy-winning French electronic duo of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, and that the music adapts to players’ actions and experiences throughout the game as circumstances and environments change.
A 30-track score album is scheduled for Dec. 11, with collaborations including Tame Impala, SZA, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Gesaffelstein. The game will also feature in-game radio stations and a separate collection of original songs.
For players looking ahead to launch day, preloading is available now for those who preordered digitally on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Those who ordered a physical code-in box version can begin downloading after receiving and activating the code, and preloading does not provide early access.
Rockstar says the game will be playable at midnight local time on Nov. 19 on both consoles.
On casting, Rockstar has kept much of the voice cast under wraps, including the performers behind Lucia and Jason. However, Stephen Root—known for roles in “Office Space,” “King of the Hill” and “Barry”—has confirmed he appears in the game and has been identified in reports as the voice of Brian Heder, an aging drug runner operating out of the Leonida Keys; Rockstar has introduced the character but has not publicly confirmed Root’s casting in that specific role.
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