There comes a video game once in a generation that may change the landscape of gaming and media. Amid internal leaks and pre-release boycotts, ROCKSTAR GAMES has officially announced a release for the most anticipated video game in a generation: GRAND THEFT AUTO VI. GTA fans are both excited and tepid about this upcoming release.
Grand Theft Auto V, released in September 2013, has sold over 190 million units worldwide and earned its creators $7.7 billion, making it the highest-grossing entertainment product ever.
“Books tell you something, movies show you something, games let you do something. Open-world games have an enormous strength, creatively,” Dan Houser, CEO of Rockstar Games, told the New York Times at GTA 5’s release. “As well as letting you do something — run around, fly a helicopter, be the hero, be the antihero, whatever — they also let you be in the world, passively…It’s a world brought to life, in which you are able to exist and explore and have the benefits of some kind of narrative pull-through, a world that exists and doesn’t exist at the same time.”
Over ten years after this gargantuan release, Rockstar finally gave the fans what they’ve been craving with a trailer for the hotly anticipated follow-up.
Here’s our recap of every leak, hint, and information released so far about GTA 6.
So when is GTA 6 coming out?
“I’m Sorry I Showed My Thingy, Okay!?”– Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer
YES FINALLY! GTA 6’s first official trailer was released on December 4 and was titled “Trailer 1”. The trailer introduces Lucia, GTA’s first female lead protagonist, who appears to be involved in a Bonnie and Clyde-style crime spree with her partner. The trailer broke the record for most first-day views on a non-music YouTube video within 12 hours, with 46 million, becoming the third-most overall within 24 hours with 93 million, and surpassed the lifetime viewership of Grand Theft Auto V‘s 2011 reveal trailer within two days with 101 million viewers.
“I’ll Have Two Number 9’s, A Number 9 Large…” – GTA 6 Platforms
According to Rockstar Games’ latest official announcement, Grand Theft Auto VI is set to arrive in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X. There’s no official release window for a PC version of the game. Rockstar turned GTA Online into their own live service game within a game, adding fresh features and updates to keep players coming back. According to reports, Grand Theft Auto 6 will function similarly and feature new missions and cities. While online play seems settled, given the enormous popularity of GTA Online, it also seems like something Rockstar won’t bother addressing until much closer to the game’s 2025 release date. For now, GTA 6 appears to be a console-exclusive title, and fans eagerly awaiting a PC version will likely need to stay tuned for future announcements from Rockstar Games.
“Now It’s Time You Find Out Why They Call Me The Donkey” GTA 6 Setting, Location, and Map Size
GTA 6 is set to take players back to very familiar Vice City, a fictional location based in Miami, Florida. Rockstar Games’ fictional state of Leonida’s diverse landscape was on full display in the first-ever GTA 6 trailer, showcasing the high-sophistication of the Vice City’s urban nightlife and the murky, muddy swamps of Kelly and Leonard Counties.
A report by Bloomberg suggested that the working title of GTA 6 was Project Americas and that the game will be primarily set in a fictional version of Miami and its surrounding areas. While in development, industry analyst Michael Pachter claimed that GTA 6 will feature multiple continents. Still, his prediction combined the 3 main cities (Vice City, San Andreas, and Liberty City) and London (a throwback to GTA 2’s European vacation). However, looking at the trailer and leaked maps shows that it may be smaller in scope but bigger in reach.
“No, I Didn’t Kill Him! But I Did Kidnap His Wife.” – GTA 6 Story, Plot, and Character Rumors
GTA 6’s story appears to revolve around two protagonists – a groundbreaking move for the franchise. Rockstar Games GTA 6 will allegedly feature two protagonists inspired by Bonnie and Clyde. The franchise is also dipping its toes into a diversity swamp with playable star-crossed convicts. A Latina mamacita with a criminal past named Lucia is shown robbing stores and ducking the law with her partner (and lover) in crime Jason, sporting his spit-shined alligator boots. Piecing the story from the trailer, Lucia is imprisoned at one point, after which she explodes her way out of the usual GTA fare. With the scant dialogue and visuals we have to work with, the trailer at least seems to imply that.
According to story leaks, it’s predicted that in the first few hours of the game, Lucia will leave a child at a deli, join a bank heist, get arrested, and then go on the rampage. This synopsis is supported by hints in the trailer. In one scene, Lucia is dressed in a prison uniform, and in another, she kicks open a door to let robbers in. She was also seen in what appeared to be an early deli when the police arrived, according to the leaked video. Can this budding relationship spring eternal in between an international crime spree? We can hope so, but when it comes to GTA, it’s proven that the heart is only as full as a stolen wallet.
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“I Said Something Nice, Not Expensive!” – GTA 6’s Price Tag
Many of the leaks and rumors surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 concern the core gameplay features of the release, but a rumor has recently circulated regarding the game’s price tag. One rumor in particular has picked up a lot of steam lately, which alleges that Grand Theft Auto 6 could cost upwards of $150. It remains unclear why this rumor has taken such a hold, but it speaks to the growing discontent around pricing across gaming. This gives some credence to GTA 6 potentially having an inflated price tag, with Rockstar perhaps feeling that the game’s experience will warrant an increased price. Considering that Grand Theft Auto 5 had a ten-year life cycle, Rockstar may even be approaching GTA 6 as a kind of live-service title with even more longevity, giving another possible reason behind these price rumors. While reports of a $150 price tag for GTA 6 rightfully outraged many fans and led to much discussion, it is more than likely that the game will be available at a usual price point when it eventually launches.
“Morality Is What I Say It’s Right, And In-Morality Is What I Say It’s Wrong.” GTA 6 Gameplay Leaks
On September 18, 2022, the gaming industry stood still as what appeared to be the very first GTA 6 gameplay spilled out online. Well, less spill and more dunk tank. A video was leaked showing over an hour of test code and rough designs of the game. Several months later, Arion Kurtaj, an 18-year-old from Oxford labeled as a key member of Lapsus$ cyber-crime group, was found and convicted of 12 different offenses against Rockstar, NVIDIA, Uber, and a banking firm following a seven-week trial this past August. He was also convicted of blackmailing telecoms firm BT/EE, demanding a $4 million (£3.19 million) ransom. He has yet to be sentenced.
The footage revealed the modern-day Vice City setting, containing animation and gameplay tests, level layouts, and character conversations. It depicted player characters Lucia and Jason entering a strip club and robbing a diner. This may have led to a delay since after a full year of Rockstar’s job posting, insiders stated that a GTA 6 trailer was expected to arrive in Fall 2022. Rockstar followed up to assure fans they don’t anticipate “any long-term effect on the development of ongoing projects.” GTA 6 should still be on track and not face major delays in light of the leaks.
Plenty of other GTA 6 leaks have arisen surrounding the game, with job listings from Rockstar North being picked up by fans of the series, starting with character costume and wardrobe stylists. Most recently, fans of the franchise have speculated that Rockstar may have leaked Grand Theft Auto 6 screenshots into GTA Online via a new series of shirts added in a recent update. Two alleged leaks went viral on Twitter on June 25, claiming that GTA 6’s story will take place in Cuba, Colombia, and Miami.
Another feature leak claims that GTA 6 will feature some form of cryptocurrency, with players also seeing the return of the LCN/BAWSAQ trading exchanges; introduced in GTA 5.
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“What Did You Expect? It’s America!” Grand Theft Auto Boycotts and Revolt
What would a GTA release be without the inevitable slew of ‘cancel pigs’ and ‘karen kats’ jumping on the hype bus?
With the release of new information, some of GTA’s players have decided to get ahead of common complaints and are demanding that Rockstar provide GTA to the masses via Xbox’s GAMEPASS.
We are also getting a throwback in the “video games = violence” realm as everyone’s favorite pair of ‘fake e-girls’, the Tate Brothers, have thrown their bald hats in the fray. Decrying the reckless abandonment of GTA’s gameplay, Tristan Tate spoke, “I’m not a fan of anyone under the age of 18, maybe 21, playing video games where the goal is to shoot police officers.”
“I’m The Monkey, You’re The Cheese Grater” Some Other Tidbits:
- GTA 6 will be introduced to fans over a set of live events and various updates to GTA Online. This information has led some GTA 6 fans to assume that an old leak about a live event announcement for GTA 6 is true.
- Following the rumors above, the hip-hop artist Alex Gonzalez, AKA El Nitro 56, is working on Grand Theft Auto 6’s music, according to his X account. Seems to be a big fan.
- Vice City Online, Rockstar Cartel, and GTA 6 are some domain names Take-Two Interactive has renewed. While this is common, seeing how these sites fill out could be interesting, especially if the live service rumors are true.
“The Only Thing Big About Your Life Is The Cockroaches” GTA 6 Hopes
The biggest game in history is going to drop in 2025. The GTA franchise is a force in the video game market and the general zeitgeist of entertainment and media. GTA 6 aims to be the largest, most profitable piece of media to date. It’s a trendsetter that will push the limits of fans and gamers alike and be the media benchmark. Will it keep to its tradition of middle fingers to The Man, covered in a ‘tough mudder’ parody of living in a southern-inspired “land of the free”; livin’ la vida full of salsa and spice? Will it bend the knee to censors and concern trolls to make way for a ‘more acceptable’ piece of boring, predictable gameplay and story that drives ‘The Message’ into our crime simulator?
2025 can’t get here soon enough for us to lock and load GTA VI into the chamber.
What do you think about GTA 6 and its trailer? Leave a comment and let us know.
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