Netflix and Rockstar Games premiered a roughly 26 minute extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI on August 27, giving fans their clearest preview yet of the game’s world, its gameplay and the soundtrack that will carry players through Vice City ahead of its November 19 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Phil Collins returns, but not the way he did before
Twenty years ago, a digitally rendered Phil Collins performed In the Air Tonight inside Vice City Stories, a direct nod to the song’s iconic use in the finale of Miami Vice. This time, Collins is back on the soundtrack with his 1984 single Against All Odds, but reporting on the extended look indicates he will not appear as a virtual performer the way he did in that earlier game. The song reportedly plays quietly during an elevator scene rather than as a staged in-game concert, a quieter use that still carries emotional weight for lead characters Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos given the song’s own ties to a story about a doomed romance.
The rest of an intentionally eclectic lineup
The extended look leaned into the genre sprawl Grand Theft Auto soundtracks are known for, mixing decades old pop and rock with contemporary hip hop, Latin music and electronic tracks. Confirmed songs from the preview include Captain and Tennille’s But I Think It’s a Dream, Cliff Richard’s Devil Woman, Def Leppard’s Love Bites, Depeche Mode’s People Are People, Sexyy Red’s Pound Town, Birdman and Lil Wayne’s Pop Bottles, Kodak Black’s Skrilla, Chk Chk Chk’s Off the Grid and Prefab Sprout’s Cars and Girls.
Reporting on the reveal has also pointed to Chimbala and Omega’s Se Me Nota as a notable addition, reflecting the Dominican, Puerto Rican and broader Caribbean influence that shapes real South Florida culture and appears likely to carry a bigger presence in this game’s soundtrack than in past entries. Across all trailers and previews released so far, outlets tracking the reveal count roughly 20 confirmed songs, with the extended look alone contributing at least 14 of them.
What we still don’t know
Despite the size of the reveal, several details remain unconfirmed. Rockstar has not announced the game’s radio station lineup, though a t shirt worn by Jason in promotional footage has fueled speculation that V Rock, a station from the original Vice City, could return. A rumor that Drake will host his own in game radio station has circulated based on comments from producer Jermaine Dupri, but that claim has not come from Rockstar itself and remains unverified. There is also no confirmation yet of an official retail soundtrack release, something GTA V eventually received years after launch.
A reveal already surrounded by turbulence
Fitting for a game that has generated intense anticipation, the music reveal did not arrive quietly. Rockstar had to issue a public statement acknowledging that gameplay footage leaked ahead of the Netflix showcase, and the company also dealt with fake demos circulating online in the lead up to the reveal.
Separately, development director Rob Nelson has said the game’s setting, Leonida, is roughly double the size of Grand Theft Auto V’s map, with Vice City itself covering twice the footprint of Los Santos, while Rockstar North’s art director has described a level of environmental detail that extends down to photographs on the walls of individual rooms. None of that resolves the bigger unanswered question hanging over the whole campaign, which is simply how much of what has leaked, teased or been officially confirmed will still feel like a surprise when the game actually arrives on November 19.
