Arguably, the two biggest games of 2026 are going to be Grand Theft Auto 6 and the Fable reboot, both slated to release towards the end of the year. As someone who has never picked up a game in either of these series heading into 2026, it’s been tough for me to get hyped about their new entries. While I could probably jump into Grand Theft Auto 6 or Fable without having played any prior entries, I figured this was my perfect chance to finally experience two classic franchises that have largely been a blind spot for me and my gaming career.
I mainly grew up as a Nintendo kid, with the GameCube, Wii, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS as the main consoles I played on. I also had access to the family PC, but it was mainly used for games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and, eventually, Minecraft and Team Fortress 2. Without access to an Xbox or a PlayStation, my childhood never included some of the older Fable and GTA games, so I never developed an attachment to the two series like others have.
With GTA 6 and Fable Releasing in 2026, It’s Finally Time for Me to Try the Two Series
Marathoning games is not something I usually do; I typically need some kind of palate cleanser in between games of the same series. However, given the legendary status of the Grand Theft Auto series and the hype behind GTA 6, I’m ready to try a marathon of the series, and hopefully won’t end up getting burnt out before I finish them. There is also the issue of other 2026 releases that I’m excited about in the interim that I’ll also have to make time for, and I already know I’m likely to get sucked into a different Marathon when Bungie’s new game releases, like I did with ARC Raiders over the past few months.
I’ve Already Started Marathoning the Grand Theft Auto Series Ahead of GTA 6
Going into 2026, I had already made it my New Year’s resolution to play all the Grand Theft Auto games before GTA 6 releases. Assuming GTA 6 isn’t delayed again and is still on track for a November release, that should give me plenty of time to finish the games as long as I stick to a pace of around 1 game a month. GTA 5 might be a bit more of an investment given how much content is available for that game, so it might take me longer than a month in that case.
My Plan for Beating All GTA Games Before GTA 6
- GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas via Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition – 60 Hours
- GTA 4 and Episodes from Liberty City – 45 Hours
- GTA 5 – 32 Hours
- GTA 1 and GTA 2 – 26 Hours
- Total – 163 Hours
I’m starting my GTA journey with the trilogy of GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas that I’m playing via The Definitive Edition. I know this collection received some criticism for its poor performance upon release, but so far, it seems to run fine in 2026 after a series of updates. Next, I’m planning to tackle GTA 4 along with the Episodes from Liberty City DLC packs, and then follow that with GTA 5. Finally, there are the original two GTA games, which are considered the black sheep of the series, so I plan to give both of them a try, but I’m not sure if I will complete them both since it seems like they are not crucial to experiencing the full series.
There have been rumors of a GTA 4 remake coming, so I’m holding off on starting GTA 4 for a while to see if this release comes to fruition.
So Far, I’ve Already Completed GTA 3
I can already check Grand Theft Auto 3 off my list, as I just recently beat the game. Overall, I think the game doesn’t hold up super well in 2026, with some clunky controls and minimal character development without a voice for silent protagonist Claude. However, I loved the humor and world building found throughout the game, especially via GTA 3‘s radio stations, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the series has evolved since this entry.
Marathoning the Fable Games Should Be Easier Than GTA
Compared to a massive series like Grand Theft Auto, marathoning Fable should be much easier. Balancing one GTA game a month, more or less, with the Fable series shouldn’t be too difficult given that there are only 3 main Fable games, while GTA has 7, not including spin-offs. Fable also packs a lot of the series’ content into re-releases, like the Fable Anniversary edition that includes The Lost Chapters content, making my marathon of the franchise pretty straightforward.
How Long It Takes to Complete All Fable Games
The total time to complete each Fable game is only a fraction of the time needed to beat the GTA series. So thankfully, it shouldn’t be as much of an investment to marathon the two franchises simultaneously. With the gameplay of Fable being an action RPG compared to GTA‘s action-adventure crime simulator gameplay, Fable has the potential to be a more streamlined experience if I stick to the main quest, whereas the playtime of a given GTA game can be extended if I end up struggling to complete certain missions (which I already have).
2026 is Going to Be a Battle Between Two Very Different Series for Me
My 2026 is shaping up to be a tale of two franchises as I attempt to beat all major GTA and Fable games for the first time before the two series’ newest entries release. There isn’t a ton of crossover between Grand Theft Auto and Fable from a gameplay perspective, so hopefully I can enjoy the variation as I make my way through these series. The one major similarity these franchises share is their distinctive senses of humor, which I am thoroughly looking forward to as I begin my 2026 GTA and Fable marathons.
- Released
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November 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
