The wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 has turned a lot of players into planners. Some want a clean slate before Rockstar’s next era begins. Others are simply hungry for that specific GTA rhythm: a new city, new radio stations, and missions that spiral from petty crime into chaos.
If you’re considering a full series run, there’s one detail that matters more than nostalgia. Time. Not the “I’ll do it someday” kind, but the calendar-and-sleep kind. And with GTA 6 currently slated for 2026, a realistic schedule helps you avoid burning out halfway through San Andreas’ countryside.
Below is a practical guide to how long to beat the major GTA entries, using widely referenced community averages. Your mileage will vary, especially if you linger in free roam, chase side activities, or insist on driving responsibly. Nobody does, of course.
Why the “How Long to Beat” Numbers Matter
Completion time is more than trivia. It changes how you approach a replay. Early GTA games can feel brisk if you stick to missions. Later entries, especially GTA IV and GTA V, invite detours that quietly double your hours.
Fans may be surprised that the biggest time sink isn’t always the main campaign. It’s the “just one more” habit: one more taxi fare, one more stunt jump, one more property objective. This changes everything.
Estimated Playtime for the Main GTA Lineup
These estimates are best used as a baseline. If you’re a story-first player, focus on the “Main Story” column. If you want the GTA experience in full, side content and collectibles will reshape your total.
| Game | Main Story | Main + Side Content | Completionist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto (1997) | ~11–12 hours | ~16 hours | ~27 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto 2 | ~9–10 hours | ~16 hours | ~33 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto III | ~16–17 hours | ~24 hours | ~37 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | ~17 hours | ~24 hours | ~38 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | ~31–32 hours | ~47 hours | ~78 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto Advance | ~10 hours | ~15 hours | ~27 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | ~19 hours | ~32 hours | ~44 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | ~19–20 hours | ~30 hours | ~43 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars | ~12–13 hours | ~21 hours | ~30 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | ~33 hours | ~51 hours | ~76 hours |
| GTA IV: The Lost and Damned | ~10 hours | ~14 hours | ~22 hours |
| GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony | ~10 hours | ~15 hours | ~25 hours |
| Grand Theft Auto V | ~32 hours | ~47 hours | ~80 hours |
What to Play If You Don’t Have Time for Everything
Not everyone needs a full marathon. If your goal is to arrive at GTA 6 feeling “caught up,” three games do most of the cultural lifting: GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. They define the modern formula: open-world structure, mission variety, and the satirical tone Rockstar keeps refining.
After that, GTA IV is the tonal pivot. It’s more grounded, more character-driven, and less interested in winking at the player every five minutes. In contrast, GTA V swings back into spectacle with its three-protagonist structure and blockbuster pacing. Together, they sketch the creative range Rockstar may draw from in Grand Theft Auto 6.
How to Finish a GTA Replay Without Getting Stuck
1) Treat completion as optional
A 100 percent run can be satisfying, but it can also flatten the fun into a checklist. If you’re replaying for momentum, keep completionist goals for one game, not all of them. San Andreas alone can swallow weeks.
2) Use “story-first” rules
Pick a simple rule set. For example: story missions first, then only the side activities you genuinely like. You’ll still absorb each city’s vibe, but you won’t turn the replay into a second job.
3) Save the expansions for when you want more Liberty City
The GTA IV episodes are ideal “dessert” games. They’re shorter, sharper, and more focused. Moreover, they reframe Liberty City from different angles, which is part of their appeal.
The Bigger Point: GTA Is Built to Be Lived In
Runtime charts are helpful, but they don’t capture the real draw. GTA is a travel simulator in disguise. You remember the streets, the billboards, the radio jokes that aged badly, and the ones that didn’t. You remember a chase that went wrong and became better because it went wrong.
So yes, plan your replay. Be honest about your time. But leave room for the unscheduled moments. That’s where GTA usually shines.