GTA 6 Complete Trailer and Announcement History: Every Reveal From 2023 to Now
A complete chronological record of every GTA 6 official announcement, trailer, and reveal from the first teaser to the confirmed release date. The full story of the longest-awaited game in history.
The history of GTA 6 announcements spans from 2013 (development start after GTA V) to the November 19, 2026 launch, with two pivotal moments: Trailer 1 on December 5, 2023 (record views in 24 hours) and Trailer 2 on May 6, 2025 (confirming the release date). In between, the September 2022 leak — 90 clips of in-development gameplay — was the largest hack in video game history.
GTA 6 has one of the longest and most storied reveal histories of any entertainment product in history. From a decade of near-silence to back-to-back record-breaking trailers, the road to November 19, 2026 has been unlike anything the gaming industry has seen. Here is the complete chronological record of every official moment.
The Long Silence (2013–2022)
Grand Theft Auto V launched on September 17, 2013. For the years that followed, Rockstar remained focused on GTA Online — expanding it continuously and generating enormous ongoing revenue — while saying nothing publicly about a sequel.
Industry insiders had long known that GTA 6 was in development, but Rockstar's culture of total secrecy meant nothing credible ever leaked. Fan communities generated hundreds of rumors per year, most of which were false.
The only quasi-official signal came in February 2022, when Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive mentioned in an earnings call that they had an "upcoming title" in development — language industry analysts interpreted as a confirmation that GTA 6 was actively in production.
The Leak That Changed Everything (September 2022)
On September 18, 2022, a hacker posted approximately 90 clips from an early build of GTA 6 on GTAForums. The material was clearly internal — raw, unpolished development footage. It showed:
- →A Miami-like city environment
- →A female protagonist (later confirmed as Lucia)
- →Two playable characters (Lucia and what would become Jason)
- →Core mechanics including driving, combat, and NPC interactions
- →The Leonida branding visible in UI elements
This was confirmed by Rockstar to be genuine in a statement they released shortly afterward. It was the largest breach in gaming history. The hacker, Arion Kurtaj, was later convicted in a UK court.
The leak gave fans their first real look at GTA 6 — not the polished vision Rockstar intended, but authentic nonetheless. It confirmed the Florida setting, the female protagonist, and the dual-protagonist structure.
October 26, 2023: The Official Teaser
After years of silence, Rockstar Games posted a single image to their social media accounts on October 26, 2023. It showed the GTA 6 logo against a dark background with no other information.
The caption read: "Coming: December 2023."
This was the first official acknowledgment of GTA 6's existence. The gaming internet erupted. The post received millions of interactions within hours. It confirmed that a trailer — not a release date, not gameplay, just a trailer — would arrive within weeks.
December 5, 2023: Trailer 1 — The Record Breaker
On November 28, 2023, Rockstar posted their "Tomorrow" tweet, giving 24 hours of advance notice for the trailer's release.
On December 5, 2023, Trailer 1 dropped simultaneously across all platforms.
Running time: 1 minute 31 seconds Music: "Love Is a Highway" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Director: (Rockstar internal — uncredited)
The trailer opened with sweeping aerial shots of Vice City's coastline before cutting to a series of vignettes: influencers filming content in pools, livestock on highways, alligators in wetlands, neon-lit nightlife, and — most significantly — Lucia, the first-ever female playable protagonist in mainline Grand Theft Auto.
Records broken within 24 hours: - Most-viewed gaming trailer in YouTube history (93M+ views) - Most-liked gaming post on X (Twitter) - Highest single-day Google search volume for any video game
The trailer ended with a brief logo card and no release date — deliberate restraint that kept speculation at maximum intensity.
2024: Total Silence
After the December 2023 trailer, Rockstar returned to silence. No new information, no release window, no screenshots. The entire year of 2024 passed without a single new official piece of GTA 6 content.
This was characteristically Rockstarian. They had learned from GTA V's reveal cycle that lengthy silences between announcements, followed by concentrated bursts of information, created more impact than steady drips of content. The internet waited.
May 6, 2025: Trailer 2 — The Date Reveal
On May 6, 2025, Rockstar released the second official GTA 6 trailer. This one was explicitly date-bearing.
Running time: 2 minutes 4 seconds Key reveal: November 19, 2026 — confirmed release date for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
Trailer 2 provided the clearest look yet at both protagonists. Lucia and Jason were shown together, their dynamic clearly that of a couple drawn into escalating criminal activity. The Bonnie and Clyde parallel — hinted at in Trailer 1 — was made explicit.
New environments shown included: - Detailed Vice City urban environments at night - Rural highway sequences - What appeared to be a heist sequence - Extended coastal and Keys-area footage
The trailer also confirmed for the first time that Jason is an explicitly playable character (the 2022 leaks and Trailer 1 had left some ambiguity). Both protagonists' voices were heard for the first time.
2025–2026: Pre-Launch Information
Following Trailer 2, Rockstar began a more active communication cadence than in previous years. The Rockstar Newswire (rockstargames.com/newswire) began publishing pre-launch articles including:
- →Platform and hardware partnership announcements
- →Accessibility features overview
- →Limited GTA Online legacy transition information
- →Merchandise collaborations
A specific gameplay reveal — the first footage showing actual UI, game mechanics, and extended play sequences — has been widely anticipated but had not occurred as of this writing.
November 19, 2026: Launch
GTA 6 launches globally on November 19, 2026. The countdown ends. The decade ends.
Track every remaining official announcement before launch at GTA6Loot News.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the first GTA 6 trailer released?
The first official GTA 6 trailer was released on December 5, 2023, after a one-day teaser posted by Rockstar on November 28, 2023.
When was the GTA 6 release date announced?
The November 19, 2026 release date was officially confirmed in the second GTA 6 trailer, released on May 6, 2025.
What happened with the GTA 6 leak in 2022?
In September 2022, a hacker leaked approximately 90 clips of early GTA 6 development footage. Rockstar confirmed the leak was genuine. It showed early versions of the Florida setting, Lucia as protagonist, and basic gameplay mechanics.
How many GTA 6 trailers are there?
As of mid-2026, Rockstar has released two official GTA 6 trailers: Trailer 1 on December 5, 2023, and Trailer 2 on May 6, 2025, which confirmed the November 19, 2026 release date.