In 2023, it will be ten years since Grand Theft Auto V launched, but will we be playing GTA 6? If we look back through history, we realise that the trailer for GTA V was first published in 2011, and by 2022, we’re still stumbling around without any real content confirming GTA 6. While Rockstar Games, the developer, has confirmed unequivocally that the game is in development, it has failed to provide a solid GTA 6 release date, much to the disappointment of millions of fans.
We’ve waited patiently for more than a decade, tolerating multiple GTA V re-releases and the constant expansion of GTA Online. This live-service variant of Grand Theft Auto was implemented by Rockstar Games in 2013, and it has been the flagship ‘title’ for the firm ever since. It provides players with a persistent, open-world adventure that they can enjoy, and it’s a huge cash cow for the company.
Let’s break into the state of play and see if we can determine the GTA 6 release date, and discuss where it might be set.
The Eternal Mystery: When Is GTA 6 Coming Out?
When is GTA 6 coming out? Currently, nobody knows – despite what many clickbait videos on the internet may have you believe. Without a shred of tangible information, GTA 6 exists now as one of the most highly anticipated titles in the history of gaming. It’s up there with the likes of Elder Scrolls VI, Fallout 5, and Half-Life 3. However, Rockstar Games, a company famed for its ability to keep a lid on things, has played its cards close to its chest for several years.
GTA V with graphics mods is the closest we’ll get to GTA 6 for now.
If there’s one thing we can ‘confirm’, it’s that GTA 6 will be released – we just don’t know when. Back in 2020, it was confirmed that Rockstar was planning a ‘new entry in the GTA series’, and in an announcement in February of 2022, Rockstar directly confirmed that work was underway:
With every new project, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we’ve previously delivered. We are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the GTA series is well underway.
Of course, the development cycle for any videogame is a lengthy one, and for Grand Theft Auto 6, we’re talking years of work. These are some of the biggest, boldest, and best games out there, and the franchise itself stretches back to the nineties. It’s a series that has spanned four console generations, and GTA 6 will push it across into the realms of the PS5 and XS platforms. There’s no doubt it’ll be the grandest, most impressive open-world game we’ve ever seen, but will it launch at any point in the near future?
Let’s Crunch Some Numbers
We were first hearing whispers of GTA V back in 2010, just two years after GTA IV was released. Then, a year later, the first trailer dropped and proceeded to break the internet. If we take a look back at the history of the series, we can see that, before GTA 6, the longest gap between the release of one title and the next was just five years. Following the launch of the first GTA V trailer in 2011, there were some delays, but the game eventually launched in 2013.
The GTA V trailer was released in 2011
If we work with a similar timeframe, we can assume that the GTA 6 release date will be at some point in 2025. We’ve had the confirmation, now we wait a year for the trailer, and finally, another two years for the game to be fully released. It’s quite a nice, round number, and it should still be within the lifecycle of the PS5 and XS platforms, if potentially at the end of that lifecycle.
As for where GTA 6 will be set, that’s an entirely different ball game, and it’s one made up entirely of guesswork and assumptions. There are many fans calling out for a return to Vice City, or a continuation of the old San Andreas setting. For others, they’re desperate for an even bigger adventure, incorporating several states into one map. However, there are some rumours circulating that suggest GTA 6 will not be set in the United States at all, and will instead move out to a location in Europe, potentially a mock-up of London or another sprawling, urban environment.
Is There Going to be a GTA 6?
Unfortunately, it more or less ends with that question.
We’re relatively sure that, in keeping with Grand Theft Auto trends, we’ll see entirely new protagonists in GTA 6. We’ll have a story that spans hundreds of hours, set in a sprawling open world, and we’ll almost certainly see a ‘GTA Online 2’, as it’s a huge money-maker for Rockstar Games. For now, all we can do is play guessing games and keep our fingers crossed that when the GTA 6 release date drops, it’s accompanied by a wonderful, revealing trailer.
Even today, GTA V remains one of the best-selling games year-on-year, and it’s still adored by millions of gamers. It’s a legacy that Rockstar Games refuses to spoil, and GTA 6 will be something even more impressive.
We can’t wait.
Read also: GTA San Andreas Cheat Codes
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