Rockstar Games officially confirmed that it was working on GTA 6 in February of last year. The announcement was hidden at the bottom of a GTA 5 Community Update, with just one sentence noting that “active development for the next access in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway.” How’s that for playing it down? Since then, however, we’ve heard very little from Rockstar in any official manner.
On September 18, however, an unprecedented Grand Theft Auto 6 leak saw over 90 videos and screenshots from the game’s early, in-development alpha build surface online. Rockstar has admitted the hack and is working to scrub the exposed content from the internet. Naturally, this first look at Grand Theft Auto 6 has disclosed several new details, such as GTA 6’s locale, characters, and gameplay. So keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Grand Theft Auto 6.
GTA 6 News
GTA 6 announcement: When was GTA 6 confirmed?
It was confirmed for release in 2022. However, Rockstar has yet to release official screenshots or a logo. (Photo courtesy of Rockstar Games)
The initial GTA 6 announcement came in February 2022, when Rockstar Games dropped the news that GTA 6 is “well underway” as parts of a larger GTA 5 and GTA Online Community Update. Rockstar remarked on Grand Theft Auto 6’s “active development”: “On behalf of our entire team, we thank you all for your help and cannot wait to step into the future with you!”
Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive confirmed in August 2022 that GTA 6 development is “well underway” as part of the business’s financial results announcement. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated, “With the development of the next access in the Grand Theft Auto series well underway, the Rockstar Games team is determined to once again set innovative benchmarks for the series, our industry, and all entertainment, just as the label has done with every one of their frontline releases.”
GTA 6 News
Since the formal announcement in February 2022, there hasn’t been any official GTA 6 news, but that’s typical Rockstar Games. We’ve had the enormous leak – which you can read about below – and the reactions to that leak, but other than that, the developer has been very silent on the widely awaited sequel.
Leaks
GTA 6 leaks: Are the new GTA 6 leaks real?
We’re not directly referring to the GTA 6 leaks; however, here’s a great screenshot of a lighthouse from GTA 5. (Photo courtesy of Rockstar Games)
On September 18, 2022, an extraordinary Grand Theft Auto 6 leak occurred, with dozens of videos and screenshots from a supposed in-development build of the game being circulated online. Are the GTA 6 leaks true? Rockstar has since confirmed the hack: “We recently suffered a network intrusion during which an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential data from our systems, including earlier development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto.”
“We are extremely disappointed that any details of our next game have been shared with you all in this manner,” Rockstar continues. “We’ll update everyone again soon, and of course, when the next game is ready, we’ll properly introduce you to it.” We thank everyone for their continuous support during this difficult time.”
To avoid living “obliterated by Rockstar,” the Grand Theft Auto Forums have worked diligently over the past 48 hours since the Grand Theft Auto 6 leak initially surfaced to scrub all traces of the illegally obtained screenshots and videos. The dedicated GTA 6 Reddit has also removed all links, images, and videos from the leak and has committed to remaining online with one condition: “We will allow discussions about the leak without attaching the leaks.” We do not permit comments that include [sic] download links to the leak.”
Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two, have since spoken out about the leaks. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of GTA publisher Take-Two Interactive, acknowledged on a recent earnings call that the leak was “terribly unfortunate” but added, “we take those sorts of incidents very seriously indeed.”
“There is no evidence of any material assets being taken, which is a good thing, and the leak will have no impact on development or anything of the sort.” However, it is quite disheartening and makes us more alert in cybersecurity problems.”
Will GTA 6 be delayed?
The representation of Los Santos in GTA 5 is still remarkable nine years later, so it’s no surprise that GTA 6 is taking its time. (Photo courtesy of Rockstar Games)
Inin the immediate aftermath of the latest GTA 6 le, there was significant concernak about how the incursion would affect the continuing development of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto game. Rockstar has since confirmed in an official statement that the hack will have no impact on the production of GTA 6 and the ongoing security of GTA 5 and GTA Online. “At this time, we do not anticipate any disruptions to our live game services, nor do we anticipate any long-term impact on the development of our ongoing projects […]” Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will go as planned. We are as committed as ever to providing our gamers with an experience that truly exceeds your expectations.”
Release date rumors
GTA 6 release date: When is GTA 6 coming out?
Rockstar Games still needs to confirm a release date for Grand Theft Auto 6. That has yet to stop internet investigators from making educated guesses. Multiple sources have corroborated a report that Grand Theft Auto 6 will release in 2025, part of a bigger information leak that suggested Grand Theft Auto 6 would be set in a modern-day Vice City. It’s usually best to proceed with caution regarding leak speculation. However, with new GTA 6 leaks confirming a modernized Vice City location, a release sometime in 2025 is likely accurate.
Microsoft said, “the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be removed in 2024.”
So maybe the GTA 6 release date is closer than we expect?
Why is GTA 6 taking so long?
Many of you wonder why Grand Theft Auto 6 is taking so long to release. It’s no surprise that Rockstar is taking its time, given the success of GTA 5 and GTA Online and the scale of Red Dead Redemption 2. When Grand Theft Auto 6 was confirmed to be in development, the studio stated as much. Rockstar went out of its way to highlight “the unprecedented longevity of GTA 5”, which has been updated and re-released numerous times over the last nine years.
Setting
GTA 6 location: Is the GTA 6 setting Vice City?
The Grand Theft Auto 6 location has long been rumored, but we will return to Vice City. Rockstar has confirmed that the leaked Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay footage is genuine, so we now better understand the city and location. One screen depicts an underground rail system with the words “Vice City Metro” printed on the side. At the same time, keen observers may have noticed classic GTA 3: Vice City locations such as the Malibu Club, Ocean View Hotel, Little Haiti, and Vice Beach.
Naturally, the city appears to have changed since your last visit. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was established in 1986, and all indications point to GTA 6 being set in the present day. The appearance of NPCs wielding smartphones and wearing modern clothing is evidence enough that Grand Theft Auto 6 is set in a present-day pastiche of Miami, Florida. Still, eagle-eyed social media users believe a character references the death of LifeInvader CEO, who Michael De Santa kills. It appears that GTA 6 is set after the events of GTA 5.
Map
GTA 6 map
While the final GTA 6 map has yet to be revealed, some hints from leaked videos and displays point to a play zone extending beyond Vice City. Some leaked screenshots depict all-new regions of Vice City, much like how Rockstar expanded on Los Santos between Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and GTA 5. As you may know, Vice City is partially modeled on Miami, and there’s already speculation that Grand Theft Auto 6 will head south toward the Everglades (wetlands) and the Florida Keys (a chain of tropical islands). The “Gator Keys” were mentioned as part of a radio broadcast in the original GTA: Vice City, although the location was never depicted in-game. Expect the Grand Theft Auto 6 map to feature a diverse range of environment types if the screenshots are accurate.
Surprisingly, fans believe the Grand Theft Auto 6 map will be significantly larger than the GTA 5 map. GTA 6 subreddit enthusiasts are attempting to map the map using leaked GTA 6 coordinates and have since begun sewing GTA 6’s map together using Google Earth and Paint. Smart people.
Characters
GTA 6 characters: Will there be a GTA 6 female protagonist?
For months, it has been speculated that Rockstar was working on the first female protagonist in GTA 6, a first for the series in the 3D era. The news was first published by Bloomberg earlier this year in an article about the shifting company culture at Rockstar North, and the GTA 6 leak has subsequently corroborated it. We can see two new playable Grand Theft Auto 6 characters in the early development footage.
The characters’ in-development names are Jason and Lucia, and the character-switching feature from GTA 5 appears to be returning in some way. One leaked film showed the pair stealing a café together, with the player controlling one of the characters and AI controlling the other. Another clip shows character changing, albeit this time it is nearly instantaneous rather than the delayed viewpoint shift is seen in GTA 5.
Gameplay
GTA 6 gameplay
Because Rockstar has yet to release a Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, it is difficult to predict how this new game will play and how it will differ from Grand Theft Auto 5. However, it is evident from the leaked early development footage that Rockstar is at least studying and testing several new elements. For example, a new series of stealth mechanics is being incorporated, with footage showing characters crawling while prone and even dragging bodies.
The weapon wheel, revamped for GTA 5, is also returning in some capacity, and leaked footage shows that Rockstar is bringing new health buff items such as painkillers. We can also see that the Five Star ‘Wanted’ system is returning and that the VCPD has enhanced AI algorithms for monitoring Jason and Lucia once you’ve gotten on their radar.
While we wait for GTA 6, why not play one of the best Rockstar games of all time or one of these great games similar to GTA? If that fails, use these GTA 5 cheats to cause havoc.
