Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the most anticipated games of 2026. Rockstar Games has officially announced that GTA VI will launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game will return players to Vice City and the wider state of Leonida, following Jason and Lucia through a criminal story.
Because the release is still ahead, many players are searching for Games Like GTA 6 that can provide large open worlds, exciting missions, driving, crime stories, exploration, and freedom. Fortunately, several modern games offer different combinations of these features.
This guide explores seven Games Like GTA 6 that can keep open-world fans entertained while they wait for Rockstar’s next major release.
Table of Contents
- Why Players Are Looking for Games Like GTA 6
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Watch Dogs 2
- Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
- Mafia: Definitive Edition
- Saints Row
- Yakuza 0
- What Makes These Games Similar to GTA 6?
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Why Players Are Looking for Games Like GTA 6
The interest in Games Like GTA 6 has grown because GTA VI has not launched yet. Rockstar currently lists November 19, 2026, as the release date, meaning players still have time to explore other open-world experiences.
The appeal is not limited to crime. GTA-style games usually combine several elements. Players can drive through cities, complete missions, explore side activities, interact with characters, and create their own moments outside the main story.
Recent gaming lists also show continued interest in GTA alternatives, with games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Sleeping Dogs, Watch Dogs, and Yakuza appearing frequently in discussions of open-world alternatives.
For that reason, Games Like GTA 6 can cover several types of gaming experiences rather than simply copying the GTA formula.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the strongest choices for players interested in Games Like GTA 6. It comes from Rockstar Games, but its setting is completely different.
Instead of a modern American city, the game takes players into the American frontier. Players control Arthur Morgan and experience a large world filled with towns, forests, mountains, wildlife, missions, robberies, and random encounters.
The biggest connection with GTA is the freedom. Players can follow the main story or spend hours exploring the environment. The game also gives considerable attention to characters and small details.
For players who enjoy Rockstar’s style of storytelling, Red Dead Redemption 2 provides a different version of the open-world formula.
The slower setting may not suit everyone. However, gamers who enjoy exploration and cinematic storytelling may find it particularly interesting while waiting for GTA VI.
2. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is another major option among Games Like GTA 6, especially for players who want a modern city with a futuristic atmosphere.
The game takes place in Night City, a huge urban environment filled with technology, vehicles, missions, businesses, gangs, and different characters. Players control V and can develop the character through different abilities and equipment.
Unlike GTA, Cyberpunk 2077 focuses heavily on futuristic technology and role-playing systems. Players can approach situations in different ways, use weapons, improve abilities, and explore different parts of the city.
The game is therefore useful for players who want the open-world city experience but also want deeper character customization.
Its futuristic setting also makes it feel very different from the Miami-inspired world shown in GTA VI’s official material. Rockstar describes GTA VI as taking place in Vice City and across Leonida.
3. Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 is a strong choice for people searching for Games Like GTA 6 because it combines an open city with vehicles, missions, exploration, and crime-related activities.
The game is set in the San Francisco Bay Area. Players control Marcus Holloway, a hacker who uses technology to interact with the environment.
One of the game’s biggest differences from GTA is its hacking system. Instead of relying only on weapons and vehicles, players can manipulate cameras, electronic devices, vehicles, and other systems.
This creates a different style of open-world gameplay.
Players who enjoy exploring cities and experimenting with different ways to complete missions may find Watch Dogs 2 particularly interesting. It also provides a lighter tone compared with some darker open-world crime games.
Among Games Like GTA 6, it is especially useful for players who want modern city exploration combined with technology-based gameplay.
4. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is another game worth considering when exploring Games Like GTA 6.
The game takes place in Hong Kong and follows undercover police officer Wei Shen. Its open world includes busy streets, markets, vehicles, missions, side activities, and criminal organizations.
One major difference is its hand-to-hand combat system. While driving and shooting are important, close combat plays a much bigger role than it does in many other open-world crime games.
The setting also gives the game a distinctive identity. Instead of another American city, players explore a densely populated Hong Kong-inspired environment.
This makes the game a useful alternative for people who want an open-world crime story but also want a different culture, atmosphere, and combat system.
5. Mafia: Definitive Edition
Mafia: Definitive Edition provides another interesting option among Games Like GTA 6.
The game focuses more heavily on organized crime and storytelling. Players follow Tommy Angelo as he becomes involved with the Mafia in the fictional city of Lost Heaven.
Unlike GTA’s more open-ended style, Mafia places greater emphasis on its cinematic narrative. Missions are designed around the story, while the city provides the environment for driving and exploration.
The game can therefore appeal to players who enjoy the criminal side of open-world games but prefer a more focused narrative.
Its historical setting also separates it from GTA VI. GTA VI is centered on modern-day Vice City and Leonida, while Mafia explores an earlier period with classic cars, older weapons, and traditional organized crime.
6. Saints Row
Saints Row offers a more exaggerated approach to the formula and can be included in lists of Games Like GTA 6 for players who prefer comedy, action, and chaotic gameplay.
The 2022 Saints Row reboot introduces a new group of characters in the fictional city of Santo Ileso. The game combines driving, shooting, missions, customization, and open-world activities.
One of its major differences is its tone. GTA often mixes serious crime stories with comedy, while Saints Row pushes the exaggerated side much further.
Players can also customize characters and vehicles while exploring the city.
For gamers who want freedom without taking the criminal world too seriously, Saints Row provides a different interpretation of the open-world action genre.
7. Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 is a different but fascinating choice among Games Like GTA 6.
The game takes players to 1980s Japan and follows Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Instead of a massive American-style map, the game uses smaller but highly detailed urban areas.
The world is filled with story missions, side activities, restaurants, shops, mini-games, combat, and unusual encounters.
Yakuza 0 is especially useful for players who enjoy character-driven stories. The game combines serious crime drama with humorous side content.
Its map is not designed in exactly the same way as GTA. However, it shares an important quality with GTA: the world contains many activities outside the main story.
That makes it a worthwhile option for players searching for Games Like GTA 6 but wanting something more focused on characters and Japanese street culture.
What Makes These Games Similar to GTA 6?
The appeal of Games Like GTA 6 comes from several gameplay elements rather than one specific feature.
Open-World Exploration
Large or detailed environments allow players to explore beyond the main missions. Red Dead Redemption 2 offers wilderness and towns, while Cyberpunk 2077 provides a futuristic city.
Vehicles and Driving
Driving is an important part of the GTA experience. Several alternatives also make vehicles a major part of exploration and mission design.
Crime Stories
Crime remains a major connection between GTA and games such as Mafia, Sleeping Dogs, Yakuza 0, and Watch Dogs 2.
Side Activities
Good open-world games provide reasons to explore after the main mission ends. Mini-games, random encounters, collectibles, businesses, challenges, and side missions can make a world feel more active.
Player Freedom
Another important feature is freedom. Players often want to decide where they go, which activities they complete, and how they approach certain situations.
This is why Games Like GTA 6 can include games that are not exact copies of GTA. They may share only some of the elements that players enjoy.
Which Game Should You Try Before GTA 6?
There is no single experience that completely reproduces GTA VI because the new game has not been released yet. Rockstar has revealed that GTA VI will follow Jason and Lucia and take place across Leonida, with Vice City as a major setting.
Instead, players can choose according to the feature they enjoy most.
If you want Rockstar-style storytelling, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a natural option. If you prefer futuristic city exploration, Cyberpunk 2077 offers that experience. Watch Dogs 2 is suitable for technology-focused gameplay, while Sleeping Dogs provides a strong combination of crime and martial-arts combat.
Mafia: Definitive Edition focuses more on organized crime and storytelling. Saints Row offers exaggerated open-world action, while Yakuza 0 provides a character-driven crime story with a very different setting.
These differences make Games Like GTA 6 useful as a broad category rather than a simple list of GTA copies.
FAQ
What are Games Like GTA 6?
Games Like GTA 6 are open-world or action games that share features such as exploration, driving, crime stories, missions, combat, side activities, or player freedom.
Is GTA 6 released yet?
No. Rockstar Games currently lists November 19, 2026, as the release date for GTA VI on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
What can I play while waiting for GTA 6?
Players can explore games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Watch Dogs 2, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, Mafia: Definitive Edition, Saints Row, and Yakuza 0.
Are these games exactly like GTA 6?
No. Each game has its own setting, characters, mechanics, and story. They are alternatives because they share some elements associated with open-world action games.
Why are Games Like GTA 6 popular?
The upcoming GTA VI release has created strong interest in open-world alternatives. Players can experience similar elements such as driving, exploration, crime stories, combat, and side activities while waiting for the new Rockstar title. Current gaming publications are also publishing dedicated GTA 6 alternative guides.
Conclusion
The search for Games Like GTA 6 does not have to end with another direct GTA-style game. Modern gaming offers many different open-world experiences, and each one focuses on different elements.
Red Dead Redemption 2 provides a detailed western world. Cyberpunk 2077 brings futuristic city exploration. Watch Dogs 2 adds hacking and technology. Sleeping Dogs combines crime with martial-arts combat. Mafia: Definitive Edition delivers a focused organized-crime story, while Saints Row offers exaggerated action and Yakuza 0 provides a character-focused Japanese crime adventure.
GTA VI is officially scheduled for November 19, 2026, so players still have an opportunity to explore these alternatives before returning to Vice City and Leonida.
For gamers searching for Games Like GTA 6, these titles provide different ways to enjoy open-world exploration, memorable stories, vehicles, combat, crime, and freedom before Rockstar’s next major release arrives.
