Expectations Of A GTA 6 Release Will Let You Down

Perhaps one of your reasons for making the leap to the new generation of consoles or upgrading your PC is in anticipation of the release of the long-awaited next installment of Grand Theft Auto, GTA 6. Rockstar has resisted mentioning Number 6 for many years as they continue to squeeze even more out of the different cross- and inter-generational versions of GTA 5.

When a new version of GTA 5 was announced for PS5 and Xbox Series X, many of us must have reacted with an audible facepalm, given that we expected to be able to play GTA 6 on the brand new next-gen consoles, which themselves will not be cheap.

But various issues, rumors and even statements from the voice actors who gave life to the iconic characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin seem to tell us that the release of GTA 6 would still be very far off into the future.

The Only Thing Confirmed is GTA 5 For Next-Gen

First, we must bear in mind that next year another version of GTA 5 will be released for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, a release that will come with several improvements and even exclusive additions, and that would serve as a bridge for a sixth installment that would still not come soon.

And if it is the case that Rockstar is going to invest a decent amount of money and resources in launching, yet another, version of GTA 5 for the new consoles, it will want to monetize this investment for at least a couple more years.

GTA 6: Back to Vice City?

It has been rumored for quite some time that Rockstar's chosen setting for GTA 6 would be a renewed and improved Vice City, a fictional city based on Miami, USA. If we go back to the end of last year, a Reddit post by user Fresh305954 noted that Rockstar was shooting some photos in Wynwood, an area of ​​Miami known for its colorful murals and unique visuals.

This can have several implications: Either this leak was false, or that Rockstar was still in the early stages of development for the sixth GTA game. At the moment, the fact that the company has not even hinted at the game tells us it might not even be in early development, especially when the pandemic could hold up pre-development process.

But the rumor that GTA 6 would be set in Vice City still makes enough sense, given that Rockstar has already revived iconic places like Los Santos and Liberty City in other games, leaving only Vice City without a remake. The fact that it is one of the fictional cities most loved by the community would give more reasons for it to come back.

Another rumor that was circulating is that the next GTA 6 would not only be focused in Vice City but also in other parts of South America as part of a game that would go with the code name "Project Americas".

What the Voice Actors are Saying

Another way to figure out whether the next GTA installment is close in the making is to look into what the three main actors of GTA 5 are saying. They have been quite vocal about the various rumors that have surrounded a possible GTA 6.

For example, Ned Luke, Michael's voice actor, told us to "not believe anything you see on the internet. If you hear it from Rockstar, then you know." He seems to hint that everything that has been rumored so far is pretty far from the truth.

On the other hand, Shawn Fonteno, the voice of Franklin, pointed out that "it’s a process to make these games ", hinting that there still is a lot to go before the game could even begin to be hinted at.

Finally, Trevor's voice actor, Steven Ogg, has indicated that fans need to "do the math" to know when the game will be released, suggesting that each installment usually takes an average of seven or eight years to make, which means the next one should be close to being presented to the public.

However, it has been 7 years since GTA 5 came out the same lack of news suggests the next one would still be far off. The current pandemic could have delayed the return of the series with the much-anticipated GTA 6 for at least a couple more years.

And finally, we have the input from Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar but no longer works for the company, which is quite worrying for the prospect of the next game to say the least; to him it is very difficult to develop a GTA game in the current unpredictable political climate that is undergoing in the United States.

This means that not only Rockstar developers have a technological challenge to overcome, but a socio-political one as well before being able to announce and release a video game that would carry even more hype and expectations than its predecessor.

As Rockstar continues to dedicate resources and manpower on updating GTA 5 Online, along with all the aforementioned reasons: next-gen GTA 5, ongoing pandemic, technological as well as narrative challenges, etc., the reveal of an even more significant game such as GTA 6 will agonize fans of the series for some time yet.

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