Grand Theft Auto fans have never had to wait this long for a new release in Rockstar Games’ flagship series. The last installment hit shelves in 2013, five years after the release of GTA IV. There has now been a 10-year gap between games, and this is set to extend by at least another couple of years.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Recently, the studio officially announced that the game was in development and that some branches had been working on it from as early as 2014. Now, Rockstar Games has put all its resources into this game’s final push, and a 2025 release date looks feasible.
What do we Know About the Upcoming Game?
Rockstar Games has a history of secrecy with its games, and players don’t usually find out anything about them until the company is ready to announce it. This wasn’t the case with the unnamed future GTA installment. Indeed, there was a hacker incident in which a vast amount of development footage was leaked, in arguably the worst data breach in gaming history.
According to a report from The Guardian, the hackers stole around 50 minutes of work from the company and then leaked it to GTAForum in 2022. A lot of this was later taken down, but the footage did provide a lot of information about the new title. Experts were able to deduce that the main setting was a modern-day Vice City, and it was clear that one of the playable characters would be a Latina woman.
Company insiders have since confirmed more details about the next GTA offering. Players will have the chance to play as a man or a woman, who work together and were inspired by Bonnie and Clyde. There will also be some parts of the game set in South America.
New GTA Could Expand on Predecessor’s Highlights
One of the most notable things about the GTA games is how each new installment has improved on its predecessor. They are also known to stay highly relevant to popular culture, and the current trends of the time. For example, GTA V featured a heavy focus on social media. It was released before the online casino industry blew up to the behemoth it is today, but a casino was later included in the online mode.
GTA VI may have a heavier focus on casino gaming from the outset, thanks to the popularity of the Diamond Casino & Resort in the predecessor. It could incorporate some of the top titles that make new sites like PlayStar stand out, such as Slingo games and themed slots. The developers could even relate GTA to Red Dead Redemption by including a Wild West-themed slot game like Desperados Wild Megaways. The developer is known for little easter eggs, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see something like this.
There’s no doubt that one of the best things about GTA V was its online mode. According to Fiction Horizon, the game still attracts around 18 million players every month. That means that the next GTA will almost certainly have an online mode, and it could be even bigger and better than GTA V’s.
The next GTA game could feature elements and aspects that nobody is expecting, with Rockstar Games constantly improving on its past offerings. An official trailer could be released soon, and the game may drop by 2025.