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GTA VI playthrough with side missions may exceed 80 hours
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Grand Theft Auto VI could take more than 80 hours to complete when players follow the main story alongside some optional objectives, according to Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson. The figure points to a substantially expansive game and suggests that players aiming to complete all content may spend considerably longer.
Rockstar has also published a nearly 27-minute extended preview on YouTube, showing the fictional state of Leonida, protagonists Jason and Lucia, and in-game activities. GTA VI is scheduled for release on 19 November at $80; for context, GTA V averaged 51.5 hours for its story plus some side quests, while completionists averaged 89.5 hours. Fans have also been warned that purported downloadable demos are part of a campaign distributing password-stealing software.
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In short
- GTA VI may exceed 80 hours with optional content.
- A 27-minute official gameplay preview is now available.
- Fake GTA VI demos may contain password-stealing malware.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson was identified as having completed the reported 80-hour run, reinforcing the expected scale of GTA VI compared with GTA V.
- 2 months ago Rockstar released a 27-minute GTA VI showcase and reported that a playthrough combining its main plot with selected side activities could exceed 80 hours, ahead of its 19 November $80 launch.
Full account
Rockstar Games has offered a longer look at Grand Theft Auto VI, alongside a report suggesting that a typical run incorporating parts of the optional content could take more than 80 hours. Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North, told The New York Times that his own playthrough lasted about 80 hours and included the central storyline as well as some additional objectives. The figure is not presented as a confirmed average or as a guide to completing every activity, but it points to a game designed for a substantial time commitment.
The game is set in Leonida, Rockstar’s fictional take on a Florida-like US state, with Vice City among the locations players will be able to visit. Its story centres on Jason Duval and Lucia Camino, a criminal couple whose relationship has been described as an important part of the narrative. The extended footage showed players moving between the two protagonists, echoing the character-switching approach used in Grand Theft Auto V, while reports indicate that player choices may affect how their connection develops.
The nearly 27-minute presentation focused on scenery, character animation, interiors, driving, chases and gunfights rather than providing a detailed explanation of systems or plot. Commentators highlighted the density of the settings, the variety of non-player characters and the apparent visual detail of Leonida. The footage first appeared on Netflix before being uploaded to YouTube, giving Rockstar a formal showcase after unauthorised material had circulated online.
For perspective, community-tracked estimates for Grand Theft Auto V have put a main-story playthrough with some side content at roughly 51 and a half hours, while attempts to finish all content can take far longer. That comparison is only indicative: Nelson’s 80-hour run did not specify how much optional material it contained, and neither report establishes a definitive duration for GTA VI’s main story or a full-completion playthrough. The reports also warn that apparent game demos distributed through unofficial websites may be malicious rather than legitimate releases.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 foregrounds the reported 80-hour playthrough, compares it with Grand Theft Auto V completion times, notes the planned November 19 release and warns about alleged fake-demo malware.
Source 2 concentrates on what the extended footage revealed: Jason and Lucia’s relationship, character switching, Leonida’s environments, graphical detail and the context of recent leaks.
Both describe the extended showcase, but Source 1 calls it almost 27 minutes while Source 2 describes it as a 26-minute preview; this is likely a difference in rounding rather than a substantive contradiction.
Explained simply
Grand Theft Auto VI is the next major game in Rockstar Games’ long-running Grand Theft Auto series. The games are open-world crime dramas, letting players follow a central story while also freely exploring a fictional city and taking part in optional activities.
The new game is set in the state of Leonida, including Vice City, a version of Miami used in earlier Grand Theft Auto games. It follows two main characters, Lucia and Jason, whose story involves a criminal partnership.
Rockstar’s previous game, Grand Theft Auto V, became one of the best-selling video games ever and remained popular for years through its online mode. The length of the new game matters because players and the industry closely watch whether it offers a substantially larger experience than its predecessor.
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Originally published by Engadget as “Grand Theft Auto VI could take you more than 80 hours to finish”.