GTA 6 takes 80 hours to beat, with a map 3x bigger than Red Dead 2

GTA 6 is shaping up as the longest, most ambitious Grand Theft Auto ever: Rockstar’s own co-studio head says his playthrough took around 80 hours, on a map roughly three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2.

What Rockstar’s co-studio head actually said

In a New York Times interview about the making of GTA 6, Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson revealed his own run through the game took about 80 hours, covering the main story plus “some optional goals with narrative ramifications.” Nelson described the game as “very, very immersive and lengthy,” a rare peek at scope from a studio that normally stays silent.

The number is not a hard requirement to see the credits. As Digital Trends notes, players focused mainly on the campaign could finish faster, while chasing side content stretches the run well past 80 hours.

How 80 hours stacks up against every other GTA

By HowLongToBeat’s data, GTA 6’s base story is longer than any Grand Theft Auto ever made by a wide margin, and nearly as long as a full 100% run of GTA 5.

That puts GTA 6’s story near the same length as it takes to fully finish GTA 5, the series’ previous scope champion.

A map three times the size of Red Dead 2

Rockstar says GTA 6’s map is three times larger than Red Dead Redemption 2, already considered one of the most ambitious open worlds ever made. Nelson told the Times he hopes players build whole routines in the game, from grabbing a coffee to fitting in a workout, hinting at the day-to-day activities layered on top of the campaign.

What it means for players

The scale matches everything else Rockstar has shown of GTA 6 so far, from the sprawling Vice City setting to the denser, busier NPC behavior on display. A story this long, with this much to do around it, is clearly built to keep players occupied well past launch.

GTA 6 is scheduled for November 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.