Rockstar Games was founded in 1998 by Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, Jamie King, and Gary Foreman as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive. In 28 years, they've released some of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and culturally significant games ever made. Here's every major release, ranked.
The Pantheon
The games that defined Rockstar — and gaming itself.
Red Dead Redemption 2
The greatest open-world game ever made. RDR2's depiction of the dying American frontier is technically staggering and emotionally devastating. Arthur Morgan's story of loyalty, redemption, and mortality is gaming's closest equivalent to great American literature. Every system — hunting, camping, horse-bonding, NPC interaction — serves the narrative. The foundation on which GTA 6 is being built.
Grand Theft Auto V
190+ million copies sold. Three protagonists. The most profitable entertainment product in history. GTA V's Los Santos is a satirical masterpiece — a sun-bleached critique of American excess that's been generating revenue for over a decade. GTA Online's success fundamentally changed the industry's approach to live-service gaming, for better and worse.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The most ambitious game of the PS2 era. Three cities, RPG mechanics, gang warfare, and CJ's odyssey from Grove Street gangster to cross-state legend. San Andreas proved GTA could tell stories about race, class, and corruption while still being wildly fun. The map felt impossibly large in 2004. It defined a generation of gamers.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar's most narratively mature game. Niko Bellic's immigrant story traded San Andreas's bombast for emotional weight and social commentary. The Euphoria physics engine made every car crash and fistfight feel viscerally real. Divisive among fans who missed the silliness, but undeniably Rockstar's best-written GTA.
Red Dead Redemption
The game that proved Rockstar could do more than cities. John Marston's quest to hunt down his former gang members across the dying West is a masterclass in pacing, world-building, and the slow-burn narrative. The Mexico crossing remains one of gaming's most iconic moments. The ending still hurts.
Excellent
Outstanding games that cemented Rockstar's reputation.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The 1980s Miami fantasy — Ray Liotta, Scarface references, and the greatest soundtrack in gaming history. Vice City proved GTA could have a setting with as much personality as its characters. Tommy Vercetti's rise from errand boy to drug lord remains one of gaming's most satisfying power fantasies.
Grand Theft Auto III
The game that changed everything. GTA III didn't just define open-world gaming — it invented it in its modern form. The transition from top-down to 3D was revolutionary. Liberty City felt impossibly alive in 2001. Every open-world game made since owes a debt to GTA III.
Bully (Canis Canem Edit)
Rockstar's most underrated game. A boarding school setting, class-based social systems, and a protagonist (Jimmy Hopkins) who's genuinely likeable. Bully proved Rockstar's design philosophy worked outside crime fiction. A sequel remains one of gaming's most-wanted unannounced projects.
Max Payne 3
Rockstar took Remedy's noir shooter to São Paulo and delivered one of the best third-person shooters ever made. The gunplay is visceral, the slow-motion diving is iconic, and Max's descent into alcoholic self-destruction is genuinely affecting. Underappreciated at launch, now recognized as a classic.
L.A. Noire
A detective game set in 1940s Los Angeles with groundbreaking facial motion-capture technology. Interrogating suspects by reading their facial expressions was revolutionary. The story — a corrupt cop thriller across multiple desks — is excellent. Team Bondi developed it with Rockstar publishing, and the facial tech was ahead of its time.
The Future
What comes next.
Grand Theft Auto VI
The most anticipated game in history. Vice City returns. Dual protagonists Jason and Lucia. Bonnie and Clyde-inspired crime saga. The Creator Economy. Advanced NPC AI. A world that promises to set a new standard for interactive entertainment. Where it lands on this list — whether it joins the pantheon or falls short — is the biggest question in gaming. We'll find out in November.
FAQ
What is Rockstar's best game?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered Rockstar's greatest achievement in terms of narrative, world-building, and technical ambition. GTA V holds the commercial crown as the most profitable entertainment product ever. Both are masterpieces.
How many games has Rockstar made?
Rockstar has published over 30 titles across multiple studios since 1998, including the GTA series, Red Dead series, Bully, Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire, Midnight Club, The Warriors, Manhunt, and Table Tennis.
Updated April 2026. Rankings reflect editorial opinion. GTA 6 will be ranked post-launch.