GTA 6 release date, rumours and news updates
GRAND Theft Auto is one of gaming's best loved franchises, and rumours have swirled about the development of the sixth game in the series.
But with GTA6 now officially on the way, here's all we know so far about the hotly anticipated Rockstar title.
When will GTA 6 be released?
GTA has an incredibly loyal fanbase, and wild speculation around its games begins long before a release date has even been announced.
One thing we do definitely know about Grand Theft Auto 6 is that Rockstar is working on it as we speak.
In February the U.S. developer announced that the sixth instalment of one of gaming's biggest series is well underway.
On their website the company said that they strive to go above and beyond each game that came before it, and that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be no exception.
The firm it was "pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway".
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The company hasn't provided a release date, but they thanked fans of the franchise for their patience and support.
Apparently, further information will be coming soon.
Analysts predict that GTA 6 will drop sometime in 2023 or 2024.
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There is some pushback on the idea of a 2023 release, with industry veteran Jason Schreier, and industry insider Tom Henderson saying that 2024/ 2025 is more likely.
Rockstar tend to release games in October, with all of the main games in the series being released in this month.
The only exception is IV, which was slated for an October release, but was delayed.
Which city will GTA 6 be set in?
In 2020, an alleged former employee of the developer leaked information about the GTA 6's setting in a lengthy Reddit post.
The anonymous poster claimed the game's map will mirror that of GTA San Andreas, with three major cities and one smaller town.
However, it will apparently be bigger than the maps of both Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA:V) and Rockstar Wild West epic Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) combined.
According to Henderson, GTA 6 will feature Vice City "in some capacity" but the actual map isn't as huge as the slew of rumours indicate.
One of the more exciting suggestions is that the map could be fluid, in that it will change and evolve with the DLC.
Henderson's sources say that future DLC will bring news map locations as well as expand it.
It was compared to Fortnite's seasonal map changes, which have live events that can change the terrain and POIs.
While the 1980s have been pegged as the setting for the upcoming GTA game, that theory hasn't been holding water.
In his video, Henderson says the setting will be a modern one.
One of the major reasons for this is integration with GTA Online and subsequent DLC.
So don't go all Miami Vice and start rolling up those jacket sleeves just yet.
What other GTA 6 rumours are there?
Following in the footsteps of GTA 5, GTA 6 will reportedly feature multiple characters.
And for the first time in the series, we may be seeing a female protagonist.
If Henderson's sources are accurate, she'll be the brains of the group and will specialize in hacking and tech – furthering the modern set theory.
According to one leaker, players will follow four main characters through the game's story mode.
They'll include a driver called Walther Wallace, Thomas Branigan who has a smuggling plane called "the Raven" and a drug dealer named Marcus Burke.
An unnamed former Israeli IDF agent was also mentioned in the post.
Missions in the game won't be as linear as in GTA:V or RDR2 it's been claimed.
Gun mechanics and the the hand-to-hand combat system will be more like RDR2's, the poster claimed.
Apparently the game will be set in the 1980s but will later jump to modern times - which would represent an unusual narrative choice for the franchise.
It's also been suggested that the game could feature police as well as gang members, with the recognisable sandbox gameplay for the criminal part and more traditional action for the police section.
Which platforms will GTA 6 be available on?
According to the information from reputed CoD and Battlefield leaker, Tom Henderson, GTA 6 will be a PC and current-gen game only.
That means we'll see the title release for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S only.
Henderson points to the current console shortage as another factor for such far-off release date.
"To maximize sales, and maximize those profits, it makes sense to release the game when there is a big enough market for it."
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So don't expect to see GTA 6 on PS4 or Xbox One.
Meanwhile, a next-gen remaster of GTA 5 launched on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in March.