Grand Theft Auto 6is one of the most anticipated games of all time. With nine years elapsed sinceGrand Theft Auto 5, and more to come by the looks of things, it’s the longest the series has gone without a mainline release. Even withGTA 6seemingly a good while away, Rockstar seems to be restructuring its plans for existing projects to accommodate it.
While rumors have been circulating for years,GTA 6was only officially confirmed to be in the works via a Tweet in February 2022 - though current Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier reports that it has been in development since 2014. Even with all that time in development, not a lot is currently known about the game. So far, it’s suspected thatGTA 6will take place in theGrand Theft Autouniverse’s fictionalized version of Miami, known as Vice City. In addition to that main setting, it may venture to other cities, and maybe even different countries as the game progresses. It’s also been suggested that it will follow a female protagonist for the first time.
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Fans are aware that support forRed Dead Redemption 2’sonline component,Red Dead Online,has been winding down for some time. A Rockstar Games blog post in July 2022 suggested that support for the game will slow down and eventually halt in the future, citing “steadily moving more development resources towards the next entry in theGrand Theft Autoseries.” That announcement came after what had already been a period of poorly receivedcontent updates forRed Dead Onlinewhile fans sawGTA Onlinegetting more substantial and consistent updates during the same period.
The story ofGTA 5’ssupport paints a different picture. Few games have received as much post-launch support asGTA 5since 2013. It has been made available on three successive console generations, and received regular updates and content expansions during its nine-year run. To the dismay of some, all of that has been forGTA Onlinerather thansingle-player story DLC. But it seems as though that support will now be coming to an end too, likely due to the development ofGTA 6.
Rockstar has published a credits page and a “thank you” message on its website dedicated to everyone involved inthe success ofGTA 5and its online component. The page doesn’t explicitly mention the end of support or any plans aboutGTA 6,but the consensus based on the wording of this “thank you” message is that it’s an emotional goodbye to the game.
The significance of this decision is hard to understate givenGTA 5is the single most profitable piece of entertainment mediain history. A lot of that is down to the continued dominance ofGTA Onlineand its Shark Card microtransactions. The decision to wind down support, then, is definitely not one that Rockstar takes lightly. If it’s true that support forGTA Onlineis ending, it’s a big sign that the developer is shifting as much focus as it can ontoGTA 6.
What Does This Mean for GTA 6?
Disappointment at the end of support forGTA 5andRed Dead Redemption 2is understandable.GTA Onlinehas an enormous and loyal fanbase, meanwhileRed Dead Onlineended on a pretty sour note for a lot of fans. However, there are a lot of reasons why these plans are both necessary and beneficial.
There are two big things these plans may entail. The first is that fans may finally be getting some concrete news aboutGTA 6.So far, the only official information is Rockstar’s confirmation that development is underway. With development seemingly shifting entirely to the new project, it may mean the developer is ready and able to put out more details, such asGTA 6announcement trailers or release dates.
The second implication concerns the quality ofGTA 6itself. A lot has changed in the industry sinceGTA 5released, including some more worrying trends. In particular, a cycle of overpromising and under-delivering has become increasingly common, especially in the realm of AAA open-world titles. Developers planning huge titles have sometimes put outgames that feel unfinished. The initial releases ofNo Man’s Sky,Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem,andCyberpunk 2077are some of the most notable examples. Hopefully moving as many resources to GTA 6 as possible means that not only will it be a good game overall, but it can release in a decently polished state on day one.
Moving teams ontoGTA 6’sdevelopment may also benefit those teams.Crunch culture in video game developmentis an increasingly relevant concern, and Rockstar in particular finds itself at the center of those criticisms, with former VP Dan Houser openly admitting employees worked 100-hour weeks while developingRed Dead Redemption 2.The company has thankfully indicated it is committed to changing that, and bringing all-hands-on-deck forGTA 6might be part of that promise.
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