- GTA 6, slated for release in the Fall of 2025 exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, promises a return to Vice City within the new State of Leonida.
- Confirmed protagonist Lucia and speculated character Jason are expected to bring a Bonnie and Clyde-esque storyline to the highly anticipated game.
- Leaks hint at exciting additions like Dual-wielding, a Basketball mode, and significant updates to the game engine, adding to the anticipation surrounding GTA 6.
It has been ten years since GTA 5 hit the market and changed video games as we know it. After a decade of waiting, Rockstar Games finally revealed the first trailer for GTA 6 on December 5, 2023. While the trailer showcases the game in a cinematic style, we still had a lot of important speculations and leaks being confirmed. So, let’s unfold everything we know about Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), including the map, characters, platforms, speculated release date, and much more.
This article was last updated on September 16, 2024, to include new details about GTA 6 release date, budget, and platforms.
GTA 6 Confirmed Release Window & Announcement
In the latest Take-Two financial press release in May 2024, the parent company for the development of GTA 6 has officially announced the release window for GTA 6. According to the statement, GTA 6 will be released in Fall 2025. Despite the official dates, some rumors also suggested that GTA 6 release date might get delayed. While Rockstar developers shut those rumors down completely, a former employee also suggested GTA 6 delay will not be official until 2025.
Earlier Rockstar Games did not confirm the exact date, but the trailer did give us a confirmed release window towards the end with a graphic showing GTA 6 releasing sometime in 2025. Rockstar Games also asked their employees to return to the office for faster development, according to reports. This timeline was previously supported by Jason Schreier, who also mentioned a tentative 2024/2025 date.
Schreier previously speculated the trailer drop date in a Bloomberg report, saying the first trailer for GTA 6 will be revealed on December 2023 on Rockstar’s 25th anniversary. Luckily after finally confirming the official trailer for Grand Theft Auto set for “early December” in 2023, Rockstar dropped the trailer.
Rockstar had previously confirmed that the “next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway” in February 2022 via an official Newswire post. Then, later, in June 2022, Rockstar Games shared an official statement stating they’re investing all their resources towards the development of GTA VI.
Some rumors also revealed that the game could come in early 2025. However, with the official statement on the release window, there is no doubt the release will be at least around the September-October window. As the studio also posted a job alert for a Russian linguistic expert on a 12-month contract for translation and font work, we can speculate the date to be Q2-Q3 of 2025.
Will the Game Be Delayed Further?
As of now, the development is in full force, according to the work details at Rockstar Games. However, Rockstar has previously mentioned why the game took a lot of hits causing the development a significant delay. According to several former devs and industry specialists, Rockstar games might delay the game if it is not 100% complete.
Much like any other AAA video game title’s development, GTA 6 has several elements affecting its progress and release. Among them, the major one was the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted the entire world, and the internal conflicts at Rockstar Games made them rethink their company policies and re-shuffle their team.
Even though most sources initially pointed toward a late 2024 launch, there was a potential problem. A massive data breach hit Rockstar Games on the 18th of September, 2022. This breach led to a GTA 6 leak, with 90+ gameplay videos and pieces of the game’s source code becoming available to the public. Due to this, it was expected that the game’s release date could be heavily pushed back by months or even years.
Thankfully, Rockstar Games soon after confirmed that while they are disappointed by the leak, their “work on the next Grand Theft Auto Game will continue as planned.”
However, many people think Rockstar Games was trying to milk the success and popularity of GTA 5 (and its online title) before bringing out its successor. And looking at the huge revenue of GTA 5, it wasn’t surprising that the studio did not want to shelf its best product just yet. However, with the trailer revealing the release windows, it is time for GTA 6 to enter the Grand Theft Auto universe.
GTA 6 Might Have Been Rebooted
While we understand the above delays, there is something to be said about a 10-year gap. However, some news confirms that GTA 6 might have actually been in work for a long time. The source of this news comes from the LinkedIn profile of Jon Young, an ex-Rockstar employee. Young worked for Rockstar Games from 2005 to 2018 on various projects. However, his last project before he left the company was as the Lead Video Editor in the research department from 2015 to 2018.
This indicates that the creation of GTA 6 had already begun in some capacity back in 2015, which is merely 2 years after GTA 5’s launch. However, according to a statement by insider Tez2, the production was rebooted around the time Red Dead Redemption 2 was released. While this is to be taken with a grain of salt, it could be part of the reason we are facing delays in getting GTA 6.
GTA 6 Speculated Budget
With the release window coming closer, are wondering how much the GTA 6 cost to make? Official figures for GTA 6’s budget remain under wraps, but rumors point to a staggering $2 billion. This wouldn’t be surprising considering GTA 4’s $100 million price tag, which paled in comparison to its subsequent sales success. Rockstar likely anticipates similar results with GTA 6, justifying the hefty budget.
With GTA 5, Rockstar went ahead with a much crazier budget of $265 million. But in return, it sold almost over 425 million copies. However, some speculate this $2 billion covers the entire game’s lifespan, including marketing and future GTA Online content. Regardless of the exact figure, GTA 6 is shaping up to be an epic experience. However, this might translate to a high pre-order price.
GTA 6 Trailer 2 & Pre-Order Speculations
Rockstar was all set to premiere the first trailer of GTA 6 on December 5, 2023. However, due to some early leaks, the official trailer dropped early. Despite that, Rockstar Games broke all kinds of records through the first trailer of the hugely anticipated game.
According to new changes on the Rockstar Games website, it seems the trailer two and a possible pre-order might be around the corner. On the Rockstar Games page, where it was previously saying ‘Watch Trailer 1, ‘ it has now been changed to ‘Videos.’ This indicates more videos are about to be included on the GTA 6 official page. Rockstar Games has also added GTA 6 to the list of games available on the store. This creates a huge speculation about the pre-order and wishlist window for GTA 6.
GTA 6 Confirmed Supported Platforms
The gaming industry has changed drastically within the decade-long gap between GTA 6 and GTA 5. According to the trailer and a later poster confirmation, GTA VI will initially release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Furthermore, Sony also revealed the PS5 Pro which will be able to run games with better visual fidelity and frames. So, it is possible that GTA 6 also comes bundled with the mid-gen refresh of PS5.
Earlier, a senior Rockstar artist claimed GTA 6 can run on 60 FPS. This means that older-gen consoles like the PS4 just might not get the game. So yes, there’s a good chance that GTA VI will be exclusive to PS5 and not be available for PS4 users.
But will GTA 6 be on PC? As of now, there is no confirmation of when the PC version will be released. However, if we speculate based on Rockstar Games trends, just like GTA 5, Rockstar will most likely port the game to PC users.
However, that might mean that GTA 6 will reach PC users only after the end of 2025. For context, GTA 5 was released on consoles in 2013 and on PC in 2015. In any case, it’s less than the time it took Marvel’s Spider-Man to release on PC.
What are the Speculated Possible Characters?
If we look at Rockstar’s history, we have sixteen games in the GTA franchise. Only two of these titles, the first two GTA games, had playable female characters. Men have entirely dominated every other iteration of the game.
This changes with the inclusion of Lucia in GTA 6. The first trailer of the game focuses on the story of Lucia and her connection with a male protagonist. It is speculated that the male lead will be called Jason. This makes Lucia the first playable female character in GTA’s history. This also means that Grand Theft Auto will have two main characters who will likely progress through the story together.
Through further speculation, we can predict the couple will be portraying Bonnie and Clyde’s image. For those unaware, B&C was an American criminal couple notorious for their bank robberies. For this reason, the characters will most likely work in tandem for the storyline and might even have a shared inventory.
Story/Plotline Rumors: Is It Anything New?
While we have a lot to go on in terms of GTA 6 characters, the story itself mostly remains a history. The protagonist duo is seen to be in a relationship through the trailer. From the rumors and speculations, we already know that the duo will most likely be stylized after Bonnie and Clyde.
This claim has been backed up by the GTA 6 leaked gameplay footage of September 2022, wherein we saw both female and male characters. Other leaked clips show gameplay from both character perspectives, hinting towards a switching system that will likely be even faster than GTA 5.
In another poster for GTA 6, we see Lucia wearing a prison anklet. This could possibly lead to the early game map being restricted. As per speculations, the more you progress, the map will open up further.
Expected & Confirmed Map Rumors: Vice City Returns
Speaking of maps, we now know GTA 6 will take place in the State of Leonida. The state will see the iconic Vice City returning as spotted in the trailer. Based on leaked gameplay and past patterns, it won’t be surprising to see GTA 6’s story play out in the iconic Vice City for most of the parts. The trailer confirms Bloomberg’s report, which describes the location of GTA 6 to be based in Miami and its neighboring areas.
Possible Gator Keys Appearance
From the trailer, it is certain that locations like Malibu Club and Ocean View Hotel are making a nostalgic return with GTA Vice City. We also see some other iconic Vice City locations, but the game will not stop there.
Rockstar Games might push beyond Vice City and onto neighboring areas as we know about the State of Leonida. In an early rumor, Gator Keys was scheduled to be included in the older GTA. However, the Gator Keys got cut in final development. This time around, we might see it for the first time along with Port Gelhorn. The trailer also shows swamps, lakes, and different environments. If we get lucky, we might even get different seasons.
Other Parts of Leonida: Will it Have a Massive Map?
As of now, there are no official renders of the GTA 6’s map. However, Reddit users have been hard at work. Using coordinates from GTA 5 and combining the leaked ones from GTA 6, Reddit’s mapping community has created a rendition of what the new game’s map will look like. As you can see yourself, the new map is supposedly going to be absolutely massive and considerably larger than the size of GTA V.
In the official poster of GTA 6, another user zoomed in and decoded a map artwork of the State of Leonida. We also see Leonida’s police car and a Sheriff’s badge in the trailer, further cementing the claim of the GTA 6 map being huge.
Expected Changes in Gameplay and Graphics
Talking about the gameplay mechanics of GTA 6 is hard at this point because of the lack of official announcements. Even through the trailer, the gameplay is not evident. There are a lot of things the fans want in GTA 6. So, while Rockstar hasn’t provided any clues, we do have some insights from the previously leaked gameplay footage and recent rumors.
Expected Movement, Driving, and New Items
For starters, movement and driving mechanics seem to have been worked on according to the leaks. Various characters, including the protagonists, now move with more fluency and have a natural gait. This is an improvement from GTA 5, where movement sometimes felt downright clunky. In the same vein, the leaked gameplay also shows better hand-to-hand combat when it comes to throwing punches and dodging. Gunplay also seems to have gotten better from the clips we have seen.
The leaks further estimate how Rockstar has also worked on introducing new gameplay mechanics, like the ability to carry bodies. Characters can now also crawl and go prone instead of plain crouching. We also see new items like painkillers, lockpicks, USB drives, and more. However, some things have been adopted from previous iterations, including the GTA V weapon wheel, which slows down the selection process.
Expected Revamped Police
More recent leaked footage by a now-suspended leaker account also shows modified AI behavior in GTA 6 police. A now-deleted minute video showed a Vice City officer hiding while trying to approach Lucia. He then stands up and walks when near a safe distance. It appears the enemy AI in GTA 6 will be smarter and apparently more hostile toward Lucia and Jason.
GTA 6 police might also use a new spawn mechanic where the AI waits for a timed countdown before approaching the crime scene. Combining the movement and combat changes above, it should be a notable improvement.
Weapons and Inventory Expectations
Based on the latest speculations and leaks, we expect the following weapons to be available for use in GTA 6:
- Limited weapon storage with one slot for each type of weapon is a feature GTA 6 might have. However, some missions, like heist-based ones, can feature additional storage for looted items.
- Following the trend of previous games, we expect most GTA 5 weapons to make a return in GTA 6. But, as per users with access to the leaked videos, there might also be some new weapons in the game, including a torch, speargun, golf ball, tracker jammer, pool cue, and specialized golf sticks.
- Some social media users also claim that the leaked footage featured the ability to shoot while swimming. It is a new feature for the franchise. However, like Modern Warfare 2, it might limit itself to pistols only.
Other Gameplay Speculations
Although there is no confirmation, a recent report speculates the San Andreas basketball minigame returning in GTA 6. This will be in the game along with Dual-wielding and more of Dismemberment and gore. According to the source, opening cars will be harder too.
Speculated GTA Radio Artists
While we do get more information on the voice actors for the protagonists, do not forget about the GTA Radio. Recently, T-Pain revealed that he is barred from playing GTA Online RP as he is working on GTA 6 tracks. Within a few weeks, another classic GTA Radio artist ScHoolboy Q announces his involvement in GTA 6 too. This can result in a lot of celebrity appearances in GTA 6.
Expected New Game Engine
Every video game’s story is highly impacted by the capability of the engine used to develop that game. A game engine is the base platform on which the game’s world loads, functions, and interacts with the player. Keeping that in mind, Chris Klippel, the leaker who gave us GTA 6’s release timeline, has claimed that Grand Theft Auto is being developed using the new RAGE engine.
This new engine is more potent than its counterpart, which powers GTA 5 and RDR2. If this claim is valid, then we can expect not only jaw-dropping graphics but also more elaborate missions. With powerful platforms and a smarter game engine, GTA 6 can give us more than the “go and kill” missions currently dominating the franchise.
Will GTA 6 Have Multiplayer Online Mode?
If the current GTA Online multiplayer (based on GTA V) game’s massive success is any indication, then GTA 6 Online is not impossible. But we don’t just have to rely on speculations. Several new listings on Rockstar Games’ job openings website have also mentioned “online” gameplay in their descriptions.
This key detail indicates the development of potential GTA 6’s online multiplayer content. However, it could also mean new content for GTA 5 Online, which is highly unlikely to keep their current team in mind.
GTA 6 September 2022 Leak
Note:
Every detail written in this article is purely based on social media posts from various sources. This also includes posts that use major GTA 6 information of the September 2022 data leak. However, we do not have any access to the leaked material and we condemn such acts.
- The leaked clips, supposedly, feature references to Vice City. There are cop cars with VCPD (Vice City Police Department) on them, and a clip also showed a metro train with Vice City written on its side.
- Rockstar Games’ RDR2 has a feature called “eagle eye,” which allows a player to see all the interactable spots in a specific location. A similar feature might make it into GTA 6 to support its highly interactive world and make it easier for players to spot cues and items.
- GTA 5 featured a useable mobile phone and internet system. Now, as per leaks, GTA 6 seems to be expanding on that, as some Twitter users mention seeing a WhatUp! Messenger notification in the leaked footage. If that turns out to be true, we might see chat-based communication between characters or online players.
- In terms of movement, the leaked footage supposedly features crawling animations, along with existing crouching and the ability to take cover. Of these, only the ability to go prone and crawl is completely new.
- Lastly, many Twitter users also pointed out better character movement in new GTA 6 leaks. They claimed that the NPC movement in GTA 6 feels more natural, just like it was in GTA 4. However, we are unsure if GTA 6 is bringing back GTA 4’s physics engine or has developed an entirely new one.
That is everything we know about the highly anticipated 2025 release GTA 6. We will add more information as soon as we hear more. Are you excited for GTA 6 release? Tell us in the comments below!
