Summary
A newly emerged game calledGarena Free Citylooks like a mobile version of something betweenGrand Theft Auto 5andGTA Online. But the jury is still out on whether that comparison holds true, asGarena Free Cityis presently only available tomobilegamers in a single country.
Much like its name suggests, this recent release comes from Garena, a Singaporean developer and publisher specializing in mobile and free-to-play titles. The company is best known forbattle royale gameGarena Free Fire, which boasted over 150 million daily active players at the height of its popularity.
The Singapore-based developer recently soft-launched another title in the form ofGarena Free City, which is an open-world action adventure set in a sunny metropolis. As spotted byPocket Gamer, the game materialized on the Google Play Store on December 4, and is presently exclusively available to users in Argentina. It was initially teased in late August 2024, with Garena touting it as an “incredible adventure” that allows players to explore a massive map, purchase properties, participate in multi-stage heists, go on a rampage, and engage in both PvP and PvE multiplayer, among other activities.Free Cityis hence seemingly aiming toemulate theGTA Onlineformula, but with someGTA 5-like ideas thrown in.
One element of the game that feels more akin toGTA 5thanGTA Onlineis its promise of stealth and assassination missions, as well as undercover ops requiring discretion and precision. Althoughcontent of this sort also exists inGTA Online, it’s less structured and lacks the narrative depth thatGarena Free Citywill seemingly try to offer, as suggested by its Play Store description. The same listing also states that the open-world action adventure will feature in-depth car customization mechanics.
Garena Free City Global Release Remains Unconfirmed
It’s currently unclear whetherGarena Free Citywill see a global release. While an English-language version of its Play Store page exists, the game’s current social media presence is entirely focused on Latin America. That notwithstanding, an international release would be a more natural fit for Garena’s overall product portfolio, which doesn’t include too many region-locked titles.
Aside from being mechanically similar toGTA,Garena Free Cityeven seems to borrow some visual cues from Rockstar’s massively popular franchise, such as promotional artwork featuring vibrant comic book-style character illustrations arranged in a grid layout—which are prominently displayed on its Play Store page. The game itself is set to further expand Garena’s diverse mobile offerings, which includethe currently most popular video game on TikTok, among dozens of other successful titles.
