🚨 GTA 6 DROPS in 2026 – But These 15 INSANE Open-World CRIME THRILLERS Will STEAL Your Soul FIRST! 🏎️💥🔫

Picture this: Massive cities pulsing with chaos, high-speed chases ripping through neon streets, heists gone wrong, and empires built on bullets & betrayal. While Rockstar polishes Vice City perfection, these beasts deliver GTA vibes – driving pandemonium, shootouts, and stories deeper than the ocean. From Brazilian favelas to medieval crime syndicates, they’re so addictive you’ll rage-quit real life.

But #1’s WORLD is 2x GTA 5’s size with COP CHASES that’ll make you uninstall EVERYTHING…

Click for the Top 15 New Games Like GTA 6 Exploding in 2026 – Your controller’s about to melt! 👉

Grand Theft Auto VI’s delay to November 19, 2026, has left fans hungry for open-world chaos, but 2026 is stacked with titles channeling GTA’s DNA: sprawling maps for free-roaming, vehicular mayhem, third-person shooting, crime narratives, and emergent sandbox antics. Drawing from Gamescom 2025 demos, Steam wishlists exploding past 10 million, and X hype (where #GTA6Like trends daily), these 15 newcomers promise Vice City-scale immersion without the wait.

What makes them GTA-like? Reactive worlds where NPCs fight back, customizable rides for pursuits, branching crime arcs, and side hustles from smuggling to street races. Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert blends fantasy grit with combo combat; IO Interactive’s 007 First Light swaps syndicates for spies but nails gadget-fueled takedowns. X users rave: “These will tide us over till GTA 6 owns 2026.” PS5 Pro and high-end PCs get ray-traced chases; expect 100+ hour campaigns plus multiplayer heists.

The Ranking Criteria

GTA Vibes Score: Driving/shooting freedom, crime depth (previews from IGN, GameRant).
World Scale: Map size vs. GTA V (2-5x multipliers from leaks).
Hype Metrics: Steam wishlists, X buzz, demo feedback.
Innovation: Twists on formula (e.g., isometric crime, medieval mobs).

Rank
Game (Release)
Why Like GTA 6?
Scale/Hours
Platforms

1
171 (Early 2026 EA Full)
Brazilian favela crime: carjacking, gang wars, isometric chases. “GTA in Rio” per X.
2x GTA V map, 200+ hrs
PC

2
Crimson Desert (Mar 19)
Medieval syndicates, horse chases, brutal combos. Fantasy GTA with boss raids.
Massive realm, 150+ hrs
PS5, Xbox, PC

3
MindsEye (TBA)
Ex-Rockstar lead’s dystopian shooter: cyber chases, heists in Redrock city.
Urban sprawl, infinite replay
PS5, PC

4
007 First Light (Mar/Q1)
Bond origin: gadget cars, stealth shootouts, global crime ops. Hitman meets GTA.
Worldwide hubs, 100+ hrs
PS5, Xbox, PC

5
Mafia: The Old Country (Summer? Pushed 2026)
1900s Sicily mobs: tommy gun drives, family betrayals. Classic GTA grit.
Island empire, 80+ hrs
PS5, Xbox, PC

6
The Precinct (Q1)
Cop sim flip: patrol chases, procedurally generated crimes in Averno City.
Infinite city, 300+ hrs
PC, Consoles

7
Phantom Blade Zero (2026)
Wuxia crime saga: sword-gun hybrids, aerial pursuits in ancient China.
Semi-open zones, 120+ hrs
PS5, PC

8
Fable (2026)
Albion underworld: moral choices warp crime empires, horse thefts galore.
Reactive world, 150+ hrs
Xbox, PC

9
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025/2026)
Realistic Bohemia bandits: sword duels, horse ambushes, thievery sim.
Historical sprawl, 200+ hrs
PS5, Xbox, PC

10
The Witcher 4 (TBA 2026)
Ciri’s monster hunts: contract chases, faction wars in UE5 world.
Continent-scale, 250+ hrs
PS5, Xbox, PC

11
Star Wars Eclipse (TBA)
Rogue smuggling: speeder bikes, blaster shootouts in dual planets.
Galactic hubs, 100+ hrs
PS5, Xbox, PC

12
Where Winds Meet (2026 Global)
Wuxia clans: martial pursuits, guild betrayals in ancient China.
Dynasty era, co-op 150+ hrs
PC, Consoles

13
War Mechanic (Q1)
Alt-WW2 bases: mech chases, island conquests with crafting crime.
Procedural wars, 200+ hrs
PC

14
The Outer Worlds 2 (2026)
Corporate heists: spaceship drives, faction shootouts on new worlds.
Multi-planet, 120+ hrs
Xbox, PC

15
Cinder City (TBA)
MMO shooter city: gang turf wars, endless vehicle combat.
Living metropolis, infinite
PC

Deep Dive: Why These Rival GTA 6’s Chaos

    171: Indie gem in Early Access – favela shootouts, cop dodges. X: “GTA but vertical slums.”
    Crimson Desert: Pearl Abyss’ solo epic. Horseback raids, boss heists. Previews: “GTA meets Dark Souls.”
    MindsEye: Benzies (GTA III-V vet) returns with cyberpunk pursuits. Cinematic crashes await.
    007 First Light: IO’s sandbox spy sim. Q-gadgets for epic escapes. “Bond’s GTA” hype.
    Mafia: The Old Country: 2K’s mob prequel. Authentic drives, narrative twists rival GTA IV.
    The Precinct: Flip the script – enforce law in procedural crime waves. Infinite variety.
    Phantom Blade Zero: Acrobatic gunplay, clan vendettas. Soulslike GTA hybrid.
    Fable: Playground’s reboot – thieve, betray, ride in whimsical Albion.
    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Ultra-realistic banditry. No HUD, pure immersion.
    The Witcher 4: Ciri’s continent – contracts, mounts, moral crime.
    Star Wars Eclipse: Smuggler life – hyperspace chases, bounty hunts.
    Where Winds Meet: Free-to-play wuxia – guild wars, aerial takedowns.
    War Mechanic: 1950s alt-history – build bases, mech pursuits.
    The Outer Worlds 2: Sci-fi syndicates – faction rifts, zero-G drives.
    Cinder City: NCSoft’s shooter-MMO – turf battles in endless urban sprawl.

Honorable Mentions

LEGO Batman: Legacy (2026): Batmobile chases, Gotham crime.
Lego Batman Legacy: Vehicular vigilantism.
Clockwork Revolution: Steampunk heists (InXile).

2026’s lineup eclipses GTA 6’s shadow with fresh spins on crime sandboxes. Mods, updates, and communities will extend playtime eternally. X consensus: “GTA who? These slappers ready.” Gear up – the open-world crime wave crashes now.