Which languages will GTA 6 have? Plenty, but no dubbing, and here's why

GTA 6 will support 13 languages for menus and subtitles, but the voices will be in English only, as in every GTA. The list is a carbon copy of GTA V's, from French and German to Japanese and two kinds of Spanish. If you're playing in English, you get the full experience as Rockstar Games intended it; everyone else is back to reading while fleeing the cops at 120 mph. Here's the full list, who's left out and why Rockstar still refuses to dub.

Will GTA 6 have voice acting in other languages?

No. The GTA 6 listing on the Microsoft Store, published at the end of June, made it clear: audio in English only, with every other language covered by the interface and subtitles. It barely counts as news: Rockstar has never dubbed a GTA. Not Vice City, not San Andreas, not GTA V. Not Red Dead Redemption 2 either.

All 13 GTA 6 languages

They're exactly the same languages GTA V launched with thirteen years ago. The notable absentees: European Portuguese (players in Portugal get the Brazilian version), Turkish, Dutch and Arabic, all left out once again.

Why doesn't Rockstar dub its games?

A mix of sheer scale and stubbornness. The scale part is obvious: a GTA has thousands of lines of dialogue, hundreds of characters, pedestrians commenting on everything you do, radio stations with hosts and ads, and even TV shows. Dubbing all of that into twelve languages would be a monumental production.

The second part matters even more. Rockstar treats its games almost like films and defends the original performances: the actors are recorded with motion and facial capture, and the voice is part of that performance. Leonida is today's Florida, with its accents, slang and humour, and Rockstar doesn't want any of that lost in translation.

Some point out that Cyberpunk 2077 was dubbed into many languages with lip sync, so technology is no longer an excuse. Fair enough, but Rockstar hasn't budged an inch.

Playing with subtitles: tips so you don't miss a thing

If English isn't your first language, or you simply like subtitles on, you know the classic GTA problem: your partner is telling you something important in the car while you're dodging taxis. A few ideas:

• Turn subtitles on before you start and, if the game allows it, make them bigger. On a TV across the room, it's a lifesaver.
• Drive calmly during dialogue-heavy trips. They're usually the ones telling the story; the chases will come later.
• If Red Dead Redemption 2's autopilot returns, where the cinematic camera drove you to your destination, use it on long journeys: perfect for reading without crashing.
• Don't stress about the radio. Hosts and ads aren't always subtitled, and they're there for atmosphere, not story.