It has now been 10 proud years since the initial release of GTA 5. Shortly after the anniversary, Rockstar Games announced the first trailer for the successor GTA 6 for December 2023. But because a lot of time has passed since we were first able to roam Los Santos, we have compiled some of the most important (gaming) historical events.
Rockstar Games initially announced GTA 5 in October 2011. The game was eventually released in September 2013. The first trailer for GTA 6 was announced yesterday for December 2023.
10 Years of World History Leading Up to the Announcement of GTA 6
The 10 years in between were filled with important historical events as well as gaming-related news – for example, Blizzard launched a total of 5 World of Warcraft expansions and WoW Classic. In the spirit of Philip Graham, the former owner and head of the Washington Post, we have compiled important and relevant news here.
2013
In September 2013, GTA 5 was released for the first time. At that time still for PS3 and Xbox 360. This marked the beginning of the long saga of releases and re-releases. The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV was relaunched shortly before with A Realm Reborn.
However, the most important news from that time for us is the founding of MeinMMO by Dawid Hallmann, the current Director of Gaming at our parent company Webedia Gaming GmbH. We truly began to take off in 2014. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Gerd Schuhmann has summarized the history of our website for you:
What else has happened?
- 09.2013: GTA 5 is released for the first time on PS3 and Xbox 360
- 10.2013: GTA Online starts
- 10.2013: Edward Snowden reveals the far-reaching surveillance programs of the NSA and has to leave the USA
- 11.2013: The new console generation with PS4 and Xbox One is released
- 12.2013: Dawid Hallmann founds MeinMMO. If that hadn’t happened, our editorial team wouldn’t have jobs now… and you wouldn’t be reading this article.
2014
In 2014, Rockstar Games brought GTA 5 to the new console generation with PS4 and Xbox One, which were released in November 2013. At that point, there were already four different versions of the game available. The PC version, however, was still awaited.
During the World Cup, Germany won 7:1 against the record world champion Brazil. In the final, the German team was also able to prevail against the opponent Argentina and thus became world champion.
What else has happened?
- 01.2014: Playstation launches PlayStation Now
- 04.2014: FFXIV A Realm Reborn is released for PS4 and Elder Scrolls Online is released
- 06.2014: Germany becomes world champion at the World Cup in Brazil
- 11.2014: GTA V is released for PS4 and Xbox One
- 12.2014: After 50 years, the USA and Cuba normalize their relations.
2015
CD Projekt Red released their successful title The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015. However, this was only after the long-awaited release of GTA 5 for PC a month earlier. The current GameStar editor-in-chief Dimitry Halley (GameStar) actually wrote his first title story about the release.
Globally, 2015 saw the beginning of the refugee crisis due to the war in Syria and the steady rise of the terrorist organization Islamic State
. Angela Merkel made the historic statement:We can do it
.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was already an absolute gaming highlight in 2015 and continues to delight players to this day. Here is the trailer:
What else has happened?
- 01.2015: Terrorist attacks are committed against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris
- 04.2015: GTA 5 is released for Windows PCs
- 05.2015: CD Projekt Red releases The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- 07.2015: NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flies past Pluto and sends detailed images of the (former) planet for the first time
- 11.2015: Bethesda releases Fallout 4
2016
Since 2016, VR technology has made its way into private living rooms. Previously, VR glasses were primarily developed for the industry and technology companies. With the first commercially available versions of the Occulus Rift and the HTC Vive, the hardware became affordable for regular consumers for the first time.
Additionally, Black Desert Online launched in the West and Niantic brought people together with Pokémon Go. Activision/Blizzard released the team-based shooter Overwatch.
In 2016, Donald Trump was elected as the successor to Barack Obama. The swearing-in ceremony as the 45th president of the United States took place in January 2017.
Pokémon GO made 2016 the summer when it felt like everyone you knew was outside with their phones catching Pokémon:
What else has happened?
- 01.2016: A first version of the Oculus Rift is released for consumers
- 01.2016: Allan Rickman dies. He was known for his portrayal of Severus Snape in the eight Harry Potter films, among others
- 03.2016: Black Desert Online is released in the West
- 04.2016: The HTC Vive is released for consumers for the first time
- 05.2016: Activision/Blizzard releases Overwatch
- 06.2016: In a referendum, nearly 52% of voters choose to exit the United Kingdom from the European Union
- 07.2016: Niantic releases Pokémon GO
- 11.2016: In the USA, Donald Trump is elected as the successor to Barack Obama
2017
In March, Nintendo’s new console, the Nintendo Switch, launched. With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the publisher also made a statement and took the long-standing game series in a completely new direction – for the first time with an open world and almost optional story.
With the releases of PUBG and Fortnite, the long-lasting hype around battle royale games began. Microsoft also launched the Xbox Game Pass, and the then Executive Vice President at EA spoke about wanting to focus EA on live service titles in the future.
What else has happened?
- 01.2017: Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States
- 03.2017: Nintendo releases the Nintendo Switch and TLoZ Breath of the Wild
- 03.2017 – 07.2017: PUBG and Fortnite are released, starting a long-lasting battle royale hype
- 06.2017: Microsoft launches the Xbox Game Pass
- 11.2017: Patrick Söderlund, the then Executive Vice President of EA, says in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that the future of EA games lies in live service titles
2018
In the middle of the year, Sony announced the exact opposite of EA’s new policy: they wanted to focus on single-player blockbuster games. Rockstar Games released its first new game since the release of GTA 5: Red Dead Redemption 2.
Meanwhile, the corporation Facebook (now Meta) was shaken by a severe data protection scandal. The stock value sank to a historic low.
Red Dead Redemption 2 was the long-awaited new release from Rockstar Games in 2018:
What else has happened?
- 06.2018: Donald Trump, the president of the USA at the time, meets with Kim Jong-un, the dictator of North Korea
- 06.2018: Sony announces that it will now focus on single-player blockbuster games
- 07.2018: The stock price of Facebook (now Meta) drops due to a data protection scandal
- 10.2018: Red Dead Redemption 2 is released for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs
2019
2019 started with a disappointment: The long-hyped live-service title Anthem from the Dragon Age studio Bioware was released, but unfortunately with severe technical flaws. Later in the year, EA released the successful single-player game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from the Apex Legends studio Respawn Entertainment.
In April, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was on fire. The game developer Ubisoft announced that it would donate 500,000 euros for the restoration (GameStar). There were also rumors that the 3D model of the cathedral from Assassin’s Creed Unity could help with the restoration (GameStar).
EA pinned its hopes on Anthem but was pleasantly surprised by the successes of Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Here is the launch trailer for the former hope-bearer:
What else has happened?
- 01.2019: Greta Thunberg attends the 49th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum
- 02.2019: EA releases the unsuccessful multiplayer live-service title Anthem
- 04.2019: The Notre-Dame Cathedral is severely damaged by a fire, and game developer Ubisoft announces donations for the restoration
- 08.2022: Activision/Blizzard releases World of Warcraft Classic
- 11.2019: EA releases the successful single-player title Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- 08.2019: At the DOTA 2 esports tournament The International 2019, the winning team
OG
receives the highest eSports prize money to date: 34 million USD
2020
In February 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzed the world. Working from home became the norm wherever possible. Events of all kinds, including the E3 2020 and Gamescom 2020, were canceled.
By the end of the year, Sony and Microsoft launched their new console generations: the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S. Both faced hardware shortages caused by the pandemic, making the consoles difficult to obtain even in 2021. So-called scalpers made a fortune off overpriced goods.
PC gaming was also affected by the pandemic: due to an ongoing chip shortage, the prices of PC components skyrocketed in a short amount of time.
Covid-19 caught the world (nearly) unprepared. Here is a news report from our colleagues at the GameStar YouTube channel, at the beginning of the pandemic:
What else has happened?
- 02.2020: The Covid-19 pandemic begins
- 03.2020: Disney launches the streaming service Disney+
- 11.2020: The new console generation with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S is released
- 12.2020: CD Projekt Red releases Cyberpunk 2077
2021
2021 intensified the pricing situation in PC gaming: due to the continuing disruption of trade and supply chains, PC components remained expensive and scarce. The new console generations continued to face strong delivery difficulties.
So-called NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens
) gained increasing significance. Some gaming companies, such as Square Enix in 2022, decided to incorporate NFTs into their games or to launch games specifically for NFTs.
An end to the hardware shortage was not in sight until last year. Our colleagues from the GameStar YouTube channel reported:
What else has happened?
- 01.2021: Supporters of Donald Trump storm the Capitol in the USA. Biden is sworn in
- 03.2021: The container ship Evergreen blocks the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes
- 08.2021: The Taliban retake power in Afghanistan after 20 years
- 09.2021: A verdict in the lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple is announced: Epic Games loses and announces that it will comply with Apple’s regulations in the future
- 09.2021: Amazon Games releases the MMORPG New World
- 12.2021: Angela Merkel resigns after 16 years as Chancellor.
2022
The past year started with three loud bangs: Microsoft announced that it wants to buy Activision/Blizzard. The Japanese gaming company Square Enix, on the other hand, wanted to focus heavily on NFTs immediately .
The third bang of 2022 occurred in February. Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine. The war has not yet ended, and an agreement between the two sides is not in sight.
In March 2022, Rockstar Games announced the next-gen version of GTA 5.
What else has happened?
- 01.2022: Microsoft announces that it wants to take over Activision/Blizzard
- 01.2022: Square Enix announces that it wants to focus on NFTs in the future
- 02.2022: Russia invades Ukraine
- 03.2022: The Expanded & Enhanced Edition of GTA 5 is released for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
- 06.2022: Sony combines PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now
- 09.2022: Activision/Blizzard releases World of Warcraft Classic: Wrath of the Lich King
- 11.2022: Amazon Games releases the Korean MMORPG Lost Ark in the West.
2023
In October of this year, the last British authority withdrew its concerns regarding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard. The takeover is not yet complete, and further objections are possible.
In June, Larian Studios moved the release of the PC version of their C-RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 forward to early August and was media-effectively banned on TikTok due to a bear sex scene. The game surpassed all expectations and received the legendary rating of 95 from the colleagues at GameStar. In comparison, the release of Starfield by Bethesda went comparatively quietly.
On November 8, 2023, Rockstar Games finally announced the first trailer for GTA 6 for December 2023.
Colleague Paul from the GameStar YouTube channel is also absolutely thrilled by the GTA 6 news:
What else has happened?
- 03.2023: Lance Reddick, an American voice actor and actor, dies. He was known for his roles in Destiny and the Horizon universe.
- 06.2023: The experimental submarine “Titan” implodes during a dive to the Titanic.
- 06.2023 Fallout Boy releases a new version of We didn’t start the Fire
- 08.2023: Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios leaves early access and is released as a full version.
- 09.2023: Bethesda releases Starfield
- 10.2023: The last British authority withdraws its concerns regarding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard; the deal seems to be on track.
- 10.2023: Hamas carries out several devastating attacks on Israel, including on a music festival. The previous tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories escalate into an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
- 11.2023: The first trailer for GTA 6 is announced.
This was a selection of the most important events of the last 10 years in gaming and world politics. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya summarized on Twitter and also shared her personal milestones of the last 10 years.
How are you? Can you believe that GTA 5 was really released over 10 years ago? What were your milestones since the release? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Germany defeated host Brazil with 7:1 at home and won 1:0 in the final against Argentina.
