Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
In September 2023,Grand Theft Auto Vcelebrated its ten-year anniversary. For most, something like that is a victory lap in an era of cherishing open-world games. But, for many, it just raised an extremely familiar question: Where isGrand Theft Auto 6? Or whatever Rockstar decides to call the next entry into the franchise worth billions of dollars.
This is the longestGTAfans have gone without a new entry in the series, and it’s causing much-expected frustration. Aside from leaks, rumors, and speculations, there’s nothing concrete aroundGTA 6’sofficial release. Which makes us wonder: What’s the hold-up?
To understand this halt a bit better, there are many aspects to uncover: the development scene at Rockstar Games, Take-Two’s role in this narrative, andGTA Online’songoing presence in the community. And everything between the lines of Rockstar’s reputation for utmost secrecy.
Grand Theft Auto V, Among Other Rockstar Titles, Sets Unrealistic Benchmarks for the Franchise
It’s one thing to be great at something. It’s another thing to be so good that it’s tough to keep up with one’s own potential. Such is the self-fulfilling prophecy of Rockstar Games. From breathing to living open worlds that seduce you and characters with intricate narratives that are on quests to be ‘better,’ Rockstar is known for crafting video games that take the industry’s reputation up a notch every time it releases a game.
Back whenGTA 5was released in 2013, the game was easily ahead of its time, the proof of which lies in the game’s success even today. To give you a fair look at how successful the game is, the title makes $15k every 10 minutes. That equates to $25 million every ten days! And this is just areportfrom the game’s online presence in 2022.GTA Onlinereceives a fair share of updates that have kept the game content-heavy for many years now.
Since its launch, the game has sold over 185 million copies. In its 10th year of online (and single-player) presence,GTA 5has managed to sell 15 million copies. To put it into perspective, many AAA titles sell perhaps half of that amount in their lifetime. Imagine being a company that’s capable of doing this. And, with your next project, you need to do better.
As of late,GTA Onlinehas been trying to balance single-player experiences like heists and character-specific missions. For instance,The ContractDLC brought a huge focus on a story-driven experience within an online setting for players. It re-introduced Franklin, along with Dr. Dre, to the world ofGTA Onlinewith new missions and a narrative focused on the day-to-day problems of the elite class.
Big numbers and fancy updates don’t take away the much-controversial debate around Rockstar’s focus on making as much money as it can fromGTA Online. Yes, it needs the funds to eventually keep investing inGTA 6’sdevelopment, but if you take a closer look atGTA Online’scontent, you couldn’t help but wonder all thatGTA 5could be as a single-player game.
Important People Have Been Leaving Rockstar in Recent Times
In August 2023, one of Rockstar’s earliest creative minds left the studio after 16 years of contribution.Michael Unsworth, the senior writer at Rockstar, worked on huge titles likeGTA 5andRed Dead Redemption 2. This came as a surprise to many, since much of Rockstar’s reputation for quality and consistency comes from the ongoing talent that stays loyal to the company. It’s likely that Michael worked onGTA 6’snarrative too.
This isn’t the first big news regarding creative minds who have left the studio in recent times. In 2020, Dan Houser and Lazlow Jones bid farewell to the company after close to 20 years of work. Jones worked on important titles likeGTA 3andBully, among others. Houser (who co-founded Rockstar Games) left too, leaving behind a legacy of titles that revolutionised open-world games in the last two decades.
Another important role played by Leslie Benzies did impact the earlier production ofGrand Theft Autogames. Ever since its early days, Benzies has made a mark by producing pivotal games likeGTA: Vice CityandGTA: San Andreas. After that, the games would follow the usual dark humour and over-the-top glorification of America in all its irony. This would become the trademark forGTAgames to come.
However, his departure from the team was a hint at changing tides within the creative direction, with Rockstar taking newer routes instead.
The change in hierarchy and work ethics would certainly impact the development ofGTA 6, and things may have slowed down during important stages of the game’s design process. It’s important to know that in recent years, Rockstar has also witnessed a change in work culture within the company.
The Work Times There Are A-Changin’
According to aBloombergreport, around 20 Rockstar employees pitched in their thoughts over the recent shift in work culture at Rockstar Games. This has affected theGTA 6development cycle and even hints at a ‘reduced scope’ for the game overall. Based on this information, the new work culture revolves around these core points:
Thanks to this, the infamous ‘frat boy culture’ has been replaced with something more positive and manageable for everyone. This is a welcome change, considering howRed Dead Redemption 2had employeesworking for 100 hours a weekto make the game happen. As ridiculous and impressive as that sounds, it’s never a healthy thing in the long term for employee satisfaction and wellness.
However, the recent changes did impactGTA 6’sdevelopment time and scale. Initially, the game was set across larger landscapes of America but eventually diminished to a smaller, fictional version of Miami (Vice City) with intricate storylines driven by multiple protagonists.
Furthermore, Rockstar will giveGTA 6a live-service-esque treatment, with ongoing updates that add missions, activities, and entire cities to the mix. This will reduce crunch times and spread the project’s development over a healthier, more manageable timeline instead.
Take-Two’s Take on GTA 6
Recently, aReddit postuncovered important information aboutGTA 6’sanimation and how realistic and dynamic it will be. This comes from a patent filed by Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games’ parent company).
The post reads:
Based on this patent, it seems like they’re using a clever system. They’ve built a library of small building blocks for character movements. These blocks can be combined in various ways to create a wide range of animations. For instance, think about a character in the game walking in the rain, feeling tired, or getting injured.
Instead of designing separate animations for each of these situations, they use these building blocks to put together the character’s movements naturally.
The post further explores the possible details ofGTA 6’sanimations and what players can expect. Moreover, Take-Two has been a little open about future plans, speaking purely in numbers. The company’s CEO,Strauss Zelnick, hinted at how crucial ‘fiscal 2025’ is going to be for the organisation. He claimed that there are going to be ‘several groundbreaking titles’ that will mark a point of growth, bringing in massive revenue.
If this is true, we can expectGTA 6to arrive sometime betweenApril 2024 and March 2025. After all, there’s only one title that will generate the kind of profits that subvert expectations for the company. However, this is the closest we’ve gotten to any official information regarding the game’s release window. The last time we heard from the company (aboutGTA 6) was in atweetthat acknowledged the infamous leak that took place.
So, how long until we hear aboutGTA 6from Rockstar Games again? No one’s sure. But in the meantime, it’s best to let it cook.
On a more serious note, theGrand Theft Autoseries, ever since its inception in 1997, has always pushed the heights of living out the power fantasy of rising criminals in an open-world setting, andGTA 6will only take this further. Given the recent changes at Rockstar, it’s fair to assume that the company is trying their best to give us the game we truly deserve. And, for that to happen, it’s worth giving Rockstar the time it deserves.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram, andYouTube.
Tanay Sharma
Articles Published :636
Tanay is a gaming writer who wears more hats than Red Dead Redemption 2 characters. He’s a musician, writer, voice-over artist and adores interactive media. He covers everything from game reviews to interviews with developers. His favorite games are the ones with memorable stories and characters. He’s also pursuing a master’s degree in Behavioral Sciences. No, he won’t read your mind.
