GTA 6 S-Tier Potential: Ranking All Rockstar Games

If you haven’t seen it yet, the brand-new GTA 6 trailer is finally here—and if you’re curious about every hidden detail, we’ve already unpacked all of the secrets and insights from it. The bad news? We’ll have to wait until May 26, 2026, before we can dive into Lucia and Jason’s story firsthand. But while we wait, there's no better time to look back at Rockstar Games’ impressive legacy and rank our favorites for fun.

Since its founding in 1998, Rockstar has developed over 30 games, giving us iconic franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Manhunt. For this ranking, we're focusing strictly on titles developed by Rockstar itself—not just those it published—so don’t expect to see L.A. Noire or Max Payne 2 on this list. I've put together a personal ranking using an IGN Tier List format, based purely on my own experiences and enjoyment over the years. Here's how it breaks down:

At the top, it should come as no surprise that Red Dead Redemption 2 takes the S-tier spot—it’s not only my favorite game of all time but also a masterpiece of storytelling and world-building. It’s joined in the upper echelon by its predecessor, Red Dead Redemption, and Grand Theft Auto V, both of which helped redefine the cinematic open-world genre. Further down, but still firmly in my personal favorites, are Max Payne 3—for its stylish bullet-time action—and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a nostalgic childhood favorite that probably influenced me a bit too much at the time.

On the flip side, the D-tier is home to some real oddities: Austin Powers: Oh, Behave! and Welcome to My Underground Lair!—titles that even the most die-hard Rockstar fans would struggle to defend.

Think Grand Theft Auto: Vice City deserves a higher place than GTA IV? Or maybe your tier list looks completely different? Why not create your own rankings using our interactive tool and compare your tiers—S, A, B, C, or D—with the rest of the IGN community?

Where Will GTA 6 Land in Your Rankings?

Even with just two trailers released so far, it’s never too early to speculate: How do you think GTA 6 will stack up once it's finally out? Share your thoughts in the comments, and tell us what drove your personal rankings—after all, everyone has their own favorite flavor of chaos.