'Grand Theft Auto VI' is almost here. What to know about the characters, music and billions at stake

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Grand Theft Auto” has never been much for following the rules.

Nearly three decades after a video game built around stealing cars, outrunning police and embracing criminal mayhem first arrived, the franchise has survived controversy, transformed open-world gaming and become one of the biggest sellers in entertainment.

Now, after a 13-year wait since its last main installment, “Grand Theft Auto VI” is preparing for another big score. The latest chapter arrives Nov. 19 with a return to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City with two protagonists.

For longtime fans, “GTA VI” is a highly anticipated return. For everyone else, here’s what to know about the blockbuster video game, its characters and the enormous business riding on its release.

The franchise began in 1997 as a relatively simple, top-down game that allowed players to roam fictional cities, steal vehicles, evade police and commit crimes.

The release of “Grand Theft Auto III” in 2001 helped redefine open-world gaming. It gave players greater freedom to explore a sprawling three-dimensional city, pursue missions and interact with their surroundings.

Later installments expanded that freedom with larger environments, cinematic storytelling, social satire and detailed worlds. The influence reached far beyond games about stealing cars.

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series brought open-world exploration to historical settings, while Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls games expanded their own longstanding tradition of open-ended fantasy role-playing. Nintendo’s “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” later emphasized experimentation and discovery, allowing players to use the environment itself to solve problems.

For “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” and “Grand Theft Auto V,” Rockstar Games recruited real-life gang members to help bring authenticity to background characters and dialogue. Former writer and audio director Lazlow Jones has said some performers challenged scripted lines, prompting developers to let them use language drawn from their own experiences.

That attention to detail helped create the sense of a living world that became a hallmark of the franchise, even as the series drew criticism for its depictions of violence, crime and women.

But controversy did not stop the franchise’s commercial rise.

According to publisher Take-Two Interactive, the franchise has sold more than 470 million units worldwide. “Grand Theft Auto V,” released in 2013, accounts for more than 230 million of those units and reached $1 billion in retail sales in just three days.

Its online multiplayer component, “Grand Theft Auto Online,” has helped keep players engaged through years of updates, new activities and in-game purchases.

This time, the action returns to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional version of Miami, and expands across the surrounding state of Leonida, a Florida-inspired setting filled with beaches, highways, nightlife and criminal enterprises.

At the center are Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, a couple trying to improve their circumstances through a life of crime. Lucia has recently been released from prison while Jason, a former soldier who became involved with drug runners in the Leonida Keys, is looking for a different path.

Their plans become more complicated when a seemingly straightforward criminal job goes wrong, drawing them into a conspiracy that stretches across Leonida.

The trailers suggest a story mixing romance, robberies, betrayals and the series’ familiar satirical take on American culture.

Rockstar has revealed several supporting characters, including bank robber Raul Bautista, aspiring music executive Dre’Quan Priest and nightclub owner Boobie Ike.

Rockstar has kept much of the voice cast under wraps, including the performers behind Lucia and Jason.

One familiar actor has confirmed his involvement: Stephen Root, known for his work in “Office Space,” “King of the Hill” and “Barry." He told The Associated Press in September that he appears in the game, adding that fans had already recognized his distinctive voice in promotional footage.

Root has been identified in reports as the voice of Brian Heder, an aging drug runner operating out of the Leonida Keys. Rockstar has introduced the character but has not publicly confirmed Root’s casting in that specific role.

Beyond the return to Vice City, one of the biggest changes is the focus on two protagonists whose relationship drives the story.

“Grand Theft Auto V” featured three playable main characters. The new installment centers on Lucia and Jason as partners navigating the criminal underworld together.

Rockstar has promoted a larger, more detailed setting that stretches beyond the city into the wider state of Leonida. The game also arrives in a vastly different technological landscape from its predecessor, with newer consoles capable of supporting more elaborate environments and character interactions.

But not every detail is known. Rockstar has offered trailers and promotional previews, while questions remain about the full range of activities, how the game’s systems will work and the future of its online multiplayer experience.

Music has long been part of Grand Theft Auto’s identity. It has included everything from fictional radio stations to the songs accompanying players as they cruise through the game’s cities.

“Grand Theft Auto VI” is expanding that tradition with an original score by Justice, the Grammy-winning French electronic duo of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay.

Rockstar says the score adapts to players’ actions and experiences throughout the game, shifting with the environments and situations they encounter.

A 30-track score album is scheduled for Dec. 11, featuring collaborations with artists including Tame Impala, SZA, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Gesaffelstein.

The game also features in-game radio stations and a separate collection of original songs, continuing the franchise’s connection to popular music.