From a 'single save-passing exercise' to an 'international community': How GTA’s world-hopping Chain Game has endured through hundreds of rounds—and how it's preparing for its biggest test yet with GTA 6

From a ‘single save-passing exercise’ to an ‘international community’: How GTA’s world-hopping Chain Game has endured through hundreds of rounds—and how it’s preparing for its biggest test yet with GTA 6 | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these Grand Theft Auto GTA 6: What we know about Rockstar’s return to Vice City Grand Theft Auto I spent 6 months saving up for a banged-up truck in GTA RP and now I know exactly what I want from GTA 6’s multiplayer Grand Theft Auto After 4 years, I’m pleased to report I’ve inadvertently discovered Squid Game mods for GTA 5 are actually really good now Grand Theft Auto GTA roleplay’s latest craze has players risking their cars in tense bouts of high-stakes hide and seek Grand Theft Auto GTA San Andreas cheats – every vehicle, weapon and stat boost code Grand Theft Auto Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick cannot fathom anyone not wanting to play GTA 6: ‘I think we’ll be able to engage every appropriate individual’ Grand Theft Auto Rockstar celebrates official GTA mod support by nuking non-official mod platform Grand Theft Auto There’s been an influx of players applying to the LSPD in GTA roleplay like it’s a real police force—except the crimes are fake, the paperwork is real, and everyone appears to be shouting codes they found on Google into their headsets Grand Theft Auto A GTA modder has got the 1997 original working perfectly on modern PCs and Steam Deck, and it’s a joy to behold: ‘I wanted pick up-and-play GTA on Windows with the best possible compatibility without classic installation’ Grand Theft Auto Rockstar baulks as a Charlie Kirk assassination mission is created in GTA Online, bans it and censors his name, but there’s more out there Action Grand Theft Auto 6 ‘launch marketing’ will begin this summer as the November release date remains on track Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 speculation mutates into delay ‘rumor,’ leading to anxious fans and a prediction market betting frenzy for no good reason Grand Theft Auto Any remake of GTA 4 must preserve its minigames and misery Grand Theft Auto Take-Two CEO says you can trust that GTA 6 release date because they’ve spent, like, so much money on marketing in the run-up to it, and they’re ‘Not selling hamburgers’ here Action Will Take-Two announce another Grand Theft Auto 6 delay tomorrow? Popular PC Gamer ClipsCrimson DesertMarathonBest PC gearGDCQuizzes Games Action Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto 6 From a ‘single save-passing exercise’ to an ‘international community’: How GTA’s world-hopping Chain Game has endured through hundreds of rounds—and how it’s preparing for its biggest test yet with GTA 6 Features By Joe Donnelly published 21 March 2026 To me, to you, to me, to you. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Rockstar / Chain Game) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. 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Signup + Every Thursday The Setup Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more. Signup + Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play. Signup + Every Saturday The Watchlist Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter ‘Community-based relay game’ isn’t something I’d immediately associate with Grand Theft Auto. It’s just not very gangster, is it? It hardly evokes Trevor Phillips forcibly removing a hostage’s teeth with pliers, nor does it reflect Niko Belic delivering harvested organs to the Black Market. When I think of the wider GTA timeline, I picture Tommy Vercetti storming Ricardo Diaz’s Vice City mansion, leaving him in a bullet-strewn pool of his blood; and Carl Johnson murdering his way to the top of San Andreas’ gangland underworld.I don’t immediately think of a non-real-time version of multiplayer where players take it in turns to progress a single save file, back and forth, round after round, until each game hits 100% completion. That is exactly what the GTA Chain Game is all about, therefore this community-based relay game, in actual fact, brushes up against all of the above—something it’s now been doing for several years, now across several Grand Theft Auto classics. (Image credit: Rockstar Games)”It’s crazy to us,” says GTAKid, the Chain Game’s long-serving commander-in-chief, “to think that we’re still going in 2026.Article continues below You may like GTA 6: What we know about Rockstar’s return to Vice City I spent 6 months saving up for a banged-up truck in GTA RP and now I know exactly what I want from GTA 6’s multiplayer After 4 years, I’m pleased to report I’ve inadvertently discovered Squid Game mods for GTA 5 a