Short answer: Development timelines for GTA vary by title, but the original Grand Theft Auto (1997) began development in early 1995, with its planning and production spanning roughly 1995 before release in 1997. For later entries, development started at different times, with GTA V fielding a long, multi-year cycle and GTA VI entering more formal, in earnest production around 2020–2022 according to publisher disclosures; detailed timelines differ by game. Details and context
- Original GTA (1997): Development began around April 1995 at DMA Design in Dundee. Early milestones include design completion in May 1995, engine work through July 1995, and alpha/playtesting phases in 1996, culminating in release in 1997. This sequence shows a multi-year ramp from initial concept to shipping product.
- GTA V: Development extended over several years with a large team; official notes indicate a major development phase lasting roughly from around 2011–2013 for planning and pre-production, into full production culminating in its 2013/2014-2015 multi-platform releases and ongoing updates thereafter. This reflects a typical modern AAA cycle with long preproduction and extended post-launch lifecycle.
- GTA VI (GTA 6): Publicly, publishers have indicated that development intensified significantly after 2020, with some statements framing 2020 as the point when work on the game progressed “in earnest.” This aligns with industry patterns where preproduction and concept work precede formal, large-scale production in recent years.
Notes on sources and nuance
- Early GTA development is well-documented as starting in 1995, with the game subsequently released in 1997 after a protracted but focused design and build process. The record-cited timeline includes specific dates for design completion, engine readiness, and playtesting milestones.
- For GTA V, Take-Two and Rockstar communications describe a long development arc, with formal, large-scale production beginning after Red Dead Redemption II’s 2018 release, placing the core development window in the early-to-mid 2010s through 2013–2015 for initial releases and ongoing updates after that.
- For GTA VI, contemporary reporting indicates the publicly acknowledged development phase began in earnest around 2020, following the framework used for major Rockstar launches in the modern era. This reflects the industry norm of extended preproduction and a multi-year production cycle for flagship titles.
If you’d like, I can pull precise, up-to-date quotes from publisher statements or provide a concise timeline table for each GTA title’s development window.
