Rockstar Games has a reputation that is hard to beat. Every time they release a major title, it somehow raises the bar for open-world gaming. Red Dead Redemption 2 pulled us into the slow-burn grit of the Wild West, while GTA V gave us a chaotic, satirical Los Angeles playground that still feels alive today.
Now all eyes are on Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6). Slated for 2026, early chatter hints that its single-player campaign could outdo everything Rockstar has done so far—not just in scope, but in length. Some leaks even claim the story might stretch well past anything we’ve seen from them before.
How Long Did GTA V and RDR2 Take to Beat?
To see why this rumor has gamers buzzing, let’s look at Rockstar’s track record.
According to HowLongToBeat:
- The main story in GTA V clocks in at about 32 hours, but chasing 100% completion can push players close to 80 hours.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 goes even further, with a 50-hour campaign. Anyone trying to squeeze every drop of content out of it is looking at nearly 190 hours of playtime.
That’s already enormous, especially when compared to most open-world games. And yet, GTA 6 might be set to eclipse both.
The Big Leak: 75 Hours of Story
The buzz started when ComicBook.com picked up on a post from a GTA-dedicated account, GTA 6 Updates. According to their leak, Rockstar’s upcoming campaign will take around 75 hours to finish.
For perspective:
- That’s longer than RDR2’s already hefty 50-hour main story.
- And it’s more than double GTA V’s runtime.
If this leak holds up, GTA 6 would easily become Rockstar’s longest story-driven game.
Six Chapters (Plus a Prologue)
The same leak also teased how the campaign might be structured. Allegedly, the game unfolds across six main chapters with an extended prologue to set the stage.
Here’s the rumored pacing:
- Prologue – 2 hours
- Chapter 1 – 6 hours
- Chapter 2 – 13 hours
- Chapter 3 – 16 hours
- Chapter 4 – 22 hours
- Chapter 5 – 16 hours
That breakdown feels a lot like how Rockstar approached RDR2, which also used chapters to build its story gradually. If true, we could see the same cinematic momentum here, stretched across an even larger world.
Can We Trust It?
Here’s where it gets tricky. None of these numbers are confirmed. Rockstar is famously tight-lipped, and leaks around GTA 6 have been everywhere—maps, features, characters—you name it. Some end up being accurate, many don’t.
Still, the idea of a 75-hour campaign feels believable. Why?
- Rockstar has a clear pattern: every game bigger than the last.
- AAA games today lean on longer, denser stories as a selling point.
- By launch in 2026, it’ll have been over a decade since GTA V. That’s plenty of time to build something huge.
So, while it’s wise to take leaks with a grain of salt, it’s fair to assume the single-player story won’t be short.
Why It Matters If the Story’s Longer
A campaign that stretches 75+ hours isn’t just “long for the sake of long.” It says a lot about Rockstar’s priorities.
- Immersion – More story time means more chances to get lost in Vice City’s details.
- Replay value – Side quests, hidden missions, and optional content will keep players circling back.
- Character depth – With two main characters rumored, Rockstar needs the extra time to flesh out both arcs.
Plenty of big studios focus on online play these days. If Rockstar really delivers another sprawling single-player adventure, it shows they still see story as the backbone of Grand Theft Auto.
GTA 6 Release Date and Platforms
What we do know for sure: Rockstar has set the launch date for May 26, 2026. Platforms confirmed so far:
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X/S
A PC release is almost guaranteed later, though Rockstar hasn’t said when. If history repeats itself, expect a bit of a wait—GTA V and RDR2 both arrived on PC long after console launch, but with major enhancements.
More Than Just Campaign Length
While story runtime is stealing headlines, there’s more to the hype:
- The game is set in Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional Miami.
- The map will reportedly evolve over time, taking a page from live-service games.
- Expect smarter AI, sharper graphics, and a livelier city than anything we’ve seen before.
Pulling all of that off alongside a massive single-player campaign won’t be easy. But if any studio can thread that needle, it’s Rockstar.
Final Thoughts
Whether the 75-hour rumor is spot on or not, one thing is clear—Grand Theft Auto VI is being built as Rockstar’s most ambitious project yet. Between its chapter-based story, return to Vice City, and the promise of a dynamic open world, this game could redefine what an open-world blockbuster looks like.
For now, we’ll have to wait until Rockstar confirms more details. But with 2026 on the horizon, the countdown has officially started.
Are you ready to dive into what might be the longest GTA story ever made?
👉 What do you think—would you actually play through a 75-hour GTA story, or is that too much even for die-hard fans? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to share this with your crew to see what they think.
