Reviewed May 5, 2026
Grand Theft Auto history by release year
Explore the complete Grand Theft Auto history timeline, major milestones, and how each era changed gameplay, technology, and cheat culture.
- GTA 5 cheats - PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
- GTA San Andreas cheats - PS2, PS3, Xbox, PC, Mobile
- GTA Vice City cheats - PS2, PS4, Xbox, PC, Mobile
Timeline
- 1997: Grand Theft Auto - The original top-down GTA introduced open-ended criminal sandbox gameplay and laid the foundation for the franchise.
- 1999: Grand Theft Auto 2 - Expanded systems and faction mechanics refined the formula before the jump to 3D.
- 2001: Grand Theft Auto III - First major 3D GTA. Liberty City became the template for modern open-world mission design.
- 2002: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - Neon 1980s setting, iconic soundtrack, and faster arcadey gameplay made Vice City a fan favorite.
- 2004: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Massive state-sized map, RPG-like systems, and one of the deepest cheat-code libraries in gaming.
- 2008: Grand Theft Auto IV - Shifted to a grounded tone with advanced physics and phone-based cheat inputs.
- 2013: Grand Theft Auto V - Three-protagonist story, huge map density, and ongoing longevity through GTA Online.
- 2026: Grand Theft Auto VI - Rockstar official site lists a release date of November 19, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Before using GTA cheats
- Story mode only. GTA Online does not accept these cheat codes.
- Make a clean manual save before entering multiple cheats.
- GTA 5 has no direct money cheat, despite it being one of the most searched questions.