5 Open-World Games That Feel Like a GTA 6 Warm-Up

You may have to wait until May 26, 2026, for Grand Theft Auto 6, but that doesn't mean you have to do it in isolation. The world of games that are open-world world like GTA, has an entire universe filled with games that let you freely roam, create chaos, or just immerse yourself in a detailed setting for the next few months.

From sandbox crime games to futuristic dystopias to Rockstar's own masterpieces, we present to you the best open-world games of 2025 that serve as exceptional alternatives to GTA 6.

Let’s look at the games to play before GTA 6, your warm-up routine before Vice City calls again.

Games that will get you Closest You’ll get to GTA 6 (For Now)

5. Mafia: The Old Country

Mafia: The Old Country takes place in Sicily, Italy, in the year 1900. Mafia: The Old Country gets away from the neon lights and high-rise buildings and offers a crime-based story, driven by organized crime and the police who oppose them.

While it's not fully open-world like GTA games, the way it centers on the story of organized crime is similar to GTA, with all of its nods to mafia movies and listening for the betrayal, power struggles, and loyalty without the satire that GTA provides. However, if you are feeling like that, denying GTA 6's release is getting out of hand, then this is the strongest story-first GTA 6 alternative you may find. And if you’re keeping up with other releases, this list sits comfortably alongside the Top 10 Best Games Coming Out In 2025, a reminder that the year is packed with heavy hitters.

4. Watch Dogs 2

Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 is as close as it gets to a modern, sandbox-style playground outside of Rockstar's world. Watch Dogs 2 takes place in San Francisco and is a hack and drive and manic open-world sandbox that feels not outdated as an experience even today.

While it may not have the teeth of Rockstar's open world games, the amount of interactions possible with the city’s technology makes it still interesting. If you are looking for a GTA 6 gameplay simulator, this one feels better than most.

3. Cyberpunk 2077

Despite its less than ideal launch, the game has evolved into one of the most polished open world games in the vein of GTA, just trade Vice City for Night City. The game features vibrant neon streets, gangs, corporations, and lots of side quests that make people stick to it.

It has definitely come a long way with each patch and has become a must play. If you are craving urban chaos, branching narratives, and futuristic crime drama, Cyberpunk has it all. It is the adventurous sandbox crime game that stands tall heading into 2025.

2. Grand Theft Auto V

This is a no-brainer, but it has to be considered. Twelve years later, GTA 5 is still the gold standard. If you haven't played this title, now's the time to do it - yes, really, you can't go to Vice City without first experiencing Los Santos. And even if you have played it, you will not be worse off refreshing your memory.

Replay the epic tale of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, or see what's happening on GTA Online, with the rumor of Vice City in GTA 6 buzzing around. Honestly, GTA 5 is the closest you'll get to any GTA 6 gameplay, until Rockstar decides to show us something.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

At last, the best warm-up of them all. Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar at its finest at one in a million dense, beautiful, and alive. Even though it replaces speedy cars for horses and high rises for saloons, there is a DNA of Grand Theft Auto in the game.

Role playing as Arthur Morgan in the declining days of the Wild West is just as insane as any modern crime drama. The level of detail in RDR2 is only matched by the detail and emotion of its characters. For a gaming experience that exceeds the freedom and atmosphere of Grand Theft Auto, RDR2 is not just a placeholder, but a once in a generation masterpiece.

The GTA 6 release delay might feel frustrating, but the process doesn't have to be boring. Between Cyberpunk 2077's neon mayhem, Watch Dogs' hacking playground, Mafia’s mobster drama, and Rockstar's own Red Dead Redemption 2, you have some great GTA 6 alternatives to dig into. Consider these as the training wheels for gaming because when Vice City opens its streets once more, you will be more than ready.

If you’re the type to branch out, you can also explore other genres making noise this year, like the Top 10 Best Horror Games PC Right Now, which shows that 2025 isn’t just about open-world crime — it’s one of the richest years for gaming variety overall.