The fan community is eagerly awaiting the release of GTA 6. After GTA V, there should be a GTA VI, right? We take a look at the rumors and leaks that have emerged so far and what they say about the game.
Update November 16, 2021: We have updated the article with an official statement from Strauss Zelnick, a confusing message from Netflix, and new patents related to open world.
What is GTA 6 anyway? It has not been officially announced by Rockstar Games, but fans refer to the next installment of the GTA series as GTA 6. It is supposed to be the successor to the current GTA 5, which was released in September 2013.
Since its release, the current installment of the series has been successful. Shortly after the Casino release in GTA Online Grand Theft Auto V celebrated a player number record in 2019. The interest in the franchise is clearly there. This was also evident in December 2020, when the update featuring the Cayo Perico Heist was released and attracted thousands of players again. Rockstar Games also set a new player record for GTA Online in the fourth quarter of 2020 (via altchar.com). It’s only logical that Rockstar Games is planning a successor. But what will it be?
When is the release? This is not known yet – presumably not until at least 2022
On which platforms will it be released? Speculation places it on PS4, Xbox One, and the new PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as well as PC.
What are the latest relevant news about GTA 6?
November 15, 2021: The head of publisher Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, spoke about the release of major games. He says it is better to let a game series rest for some time, so that the release feels like a big event. He believes this applies to the “most valuable franchises,” including Grand Theft Auto.
Zelnick discussed this during the “Jeffries Virtual Global Interactive Entertainment Conference.” He compares GTA to the James Bond series and says that titles are intentionally kept on hold to increase demand for the title, making it a special event.
If he has seen a Bond movie, he knows that no new James Bond film is coming out in the next month or two. More about this:
April 14, 2021: Netflix talks about GTA 6 and confuses the gaming community. The tweet came from Netflix France and appeared out of nowhere. They tweeted, “Essentially, GTA 6 is coming soon.” No context, no explanation – nothing.
Immediately, users on Twitter asked what “soon” meant. The Twitter account replied, “between today and the end of the world. Let’s wait and see.” These cryptic tweets caused a stir in the community.
January 20, 2021: Two patents that publisher Take-Two acquired indicate a better and more realistic open world for GTA 6. The patents date back to 2017 and 2019. One is for a “system and method for virtual navigation in a game world” and the other is a patent on how players can actively change an open world. Read more here about the two patents for a better open world in GTA 6.
When is the release of GTA 6? Why not 2021?
After Red Dead Redemption 2 has been available since 2018 and has also had its PC release, fans believed GTA 6 should be the next big announcement.
When could the release be? Analyst Michael Pachter stated in 2017 in an interview with Gaming Bolt that GTA 6 would likely be announced in 2020 at the earliest and released in 2021. For him, a release in 2022 would be more realistic. In the interview, he speculated:
I say it will come out in 2022. Remember, Red Dead Redemption 2 was released eight years after the first one. That GTA 6 is supposed to come out before 2021 sounds ridiculous. And Rockstar … the only announcements they made more than a year before launch were because the launch itself was postponed. So in the best case, GTA 6 will be announced in 2020 with a release for 2021.
An anonymous source told Inside Gaming (via YouTube) that a release is planned for 2021/2022.
Meanwhile, 2021 is almost over. An announcement this year would be surprising. So we expect a release not before 2022. And that would still be optimistic if announcement and release were to happen in the same year.
GTA 6 announcement leaked in Casino?
In the Casino Heist of GTA Online, released in December 2019, fans claim to have found another hint regarding a possible release date for GTA 6.
In a hallway of the casino, you can find the words “Service” and “Casino 510”. However, they are arranged in such a way that the spelling of “Service” could suggest “Vice”[City] and the 510 could allude to the date of May 10 or October 5 (depending on formatting). At least that is the interpretation of the fans on Reddit, who see this as an Easter egg for a GTA 6 announcement date.
What Trevor’s spokesperson says about the release date of GTA 6
Who is speaking? Steven Ogg is the voice actor who provided the voice for the character Trevor in GTA 5. He appeared at a Q&A session at the Brazil Games Show 2019 and stated that GTA 6 is “coming soon.”
He added: “Video games are usually developed in seven to eight years. Do the math yourself.” (via talkesport)
So let’s do the math: Release of GTA 5 in 2013, adding seven to eight years, we land at 2020 / 2021.
Where can I watch the official trailer for GTA 6?
Are there leaks? In the past, it has been evident that Rockstar Games’ trailers typically do not leak. They usually do not appear on any boards on the internet before their scheduled release and then get shared.
What have we learned? It has been shown that Rockstar announces when there will be an announcement. Before the big trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games announced when it would come out.
They did so in 2013 for GTA 5 (via RockstarGames.com). Also for Red Dead Redemption 2, they announced beforehand when trailers were on the horizon. We expect a similar approach for GTA 6. Once a trailer is uploaded or announced, you can definitely read about it here at Mein-MMO.de.
GTA 6 on PS4? What platforms?
What is speculated: In the community, it is assumed that GTA 6 will have a similar release to GTA 5. It may support the old generation and will most likely be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
In a job description from Rockstar on Monster.co.uk, they are looking for someone to create “next-gen worlds for exciting upcoming projects.” This would certainly fit the next-gen approach.
Location of GTA 6 – Where does it take place – what does the map show?
Many rumors are swirling that GTA 6 is supposedly going to be set in a beach environment. Similar to South Florida, for example.
New “hint” from Casino update in 2019
In early December 2019, GTA Online showcased the first teaser for the then-unreleased Casino Heist update. In this teaser video, you can see the casino and the head of all heists: Lester.
But that’s not all. For a brief moment, a world map highlighting South America is displayed.
For some fans, this is a hint from Rockstar Games that the rumor about “Project Americas” is true. Because “Project Americas” is supposed to be the working title of GTA 6 according to some rumors. The core of the leak is that Project Americas is supposed to lead back to Vice City and another South American city.
Leak from 2018 with Vice City and Female Protagonist
In a larger “insider report” from the YouTube channel “Inside Gaming” (via YouTube), it is stated that GTA 6 is supposed to take place in two locations. Once in an area like Vice City and also in South America.
It also states that the main character this time will be a female. Whether there will be other protagonists that you can switch between like in GTA 5 is not known.
However, this leak also states that there will be a male protagonist and that GTA 6 would not be released for PS4 and Xbox One. More about this can be read here:
What does Rockstar Games say about the next GTA?
The former president of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies, started the rumors for the next title in the GTA series back in 2013. In an interview with Develop he stated:
We don’t know yet what GTA 6 will be like, but we have some ideas. We have ideas for about 45 years of what we want to do. We will choose the right ones from that. First comes the idea. Where will it take place is the first question. That then defines the missions; you do different things in LA compared to New York or Miami. […]
It is clear that Rockstar Games is working on a GTA 6. And they have probably been doing so for several years. They likely have a number of ideas as well. We are looking forward to when the developers will officially release more information about it.
What do you hope for GTA 6? Please let us know your favorite setting and other wishes in the comments.
Who should still play GTA Online in 2021? We have analyzed this for you and show who should start in Los Santos now.
We have dealt with the major leak regarding the Vice City setting for GTA 6 more extensively:
Leak from 2019 – Rio de Janeiro?
In July 2019, a leak surfaced on reddit. The post has since been deleted. It was reported that the second city next to Vice City is visually inspired by Rio de Janeiro.
It was also mentioned that the Netflix series “Narcos” likely had a significant influence on the story. In the campaign, you supposedly play as a drug smuggler. Starting as a small-time smuggler, you work your way up to play with the “big boys.”
Allegedly, the game is supposed to take place in multiple major cities, which many fan favorites, like Vice City and Liberty City, that they know from the GTA series.
However, this leak also states that there will be a male protagonist and that GTA 6 would not be released for PS4 and Xbox One. More about this can be read here:
What does Rockstar Games say about the next GTA?
The former president of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies, started the rumors for the next title in the GTA series back in 2013. In an interview with Develop he stated:
We don’t know yet what GTA 6 will be like, but we have some ideas. We have ideas for about 45 years of what we want to do. We will choose the right ones from that. First comes the idea. Where will it take place is the first question. That then defines the missions; you do different things in LA compared to New York or Miami. […]
It is clear that Rockstar Games is working on a GTA 6. And they have probably been doing so for several years. They likely have a number of ideas as well. We are looking forward to when the developers will officially release more information about it.
What do you hope for GTA 6? Please let us know your favorite setting and other wishes in the comments.
Who should still play GTA Online in 2021? We have analyzed this for you and show who should start in Los Santos now.
