Finally, after an eternity of wait, Rockstar Games has shed some light on the release of their most anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto 6. According to the latest tweet from the official X handle of Rockstar Games, GTA 6’s first trailer will drop by early December, and the fans can’t contain their excitement already. This is the first-ever official announcement regarding the release of the trailer by the studios.
It’s been more than a decade since the GTA V launch, and the fans were eagerly waiting for something rigid related to the next title instead of leaks and rumors.
On that note, here in this post, we will talk about all the aspects of the upcoming GTA title, including how it will be different from its predecessors, the evolution of the GTA universe, possible maps and innovations in GTA 6, the storyline of the game, main characters as per the rumors, followed by controversies and discussions going on around the title.
What is the GTA 6 Release Date?
Considering the fact that Rockstar recently tweeted and stated that the reveal could be in December, we’re looking at a potential release date of Q4 2024 — October 2024, to be more likely. According to Insider Gaming’s report, Take-Two Interactive is preparing for “new record levels of operating performance” in Fiscal Year 25.
For the uninitiated, the Fiscal Year 25 is set to run from April 2024 to March 2025. So, it makes sense that the GTA 6 release date could be anywhere around this timeframe. This is one of the most credible leaks that we have regarding the game’s release date.
Moreover, Rockstar Insider Tez2 suggested that the game will land somewhere between April 2024 and March 2025. And will be compatible with all the new-gen consoles. This backs up what we’ve learned so far regarding the GTA 6 release date!
What Could Be Different In GTA 6?
While we all know that GTA 6 is already one of the most hyped projects by Rockstar Games, there are a few things that set it completely apart from what we got to see in its predecessors. Reports suggest that the game is going to be the first ever in the GTA series to feature a female protagonist. Now, this changes everything, in consideration of the storyline as well as for the players.
It can be said that GTA’s latest installment is not going to be just another story dealing with the rags-to-riches theme by making the male protagonists go from Mr. Nobody to the biggest crime lord. This time, we are all set to see a different approach.
Another leak regarding the game suggested that it will be based in Vice City, which is something all the gamers wanted to see due to the nostalgic importance of the place. However, there is no confirmation regarding the Vice City part on an official basis, so readers are advised to take this information with a truckload of salt.
GTA 6 Location
On December 1, 2023, Rockstar gave us the latest glimpse into their upcoming game. According to a tweet from the house of Rockstar, GTA 6’s trailer will be released on December 5, 9 AM ET.
But that’s not all — the background image in the tweet also tells us a tad about the location of GTA 6. Longtime fans of the series will fondly remember the sunny Miami-style beaches of Vice City.
If we’re to extrapolate much from the image itself, it looks like GTA 6’s setting will be in a region that’s similar to, or maybe even, Tommy Vercetti’s playing grounds. We can only imagine if Lucia and Jason will meet one of the greatest characters in the GTA corpus. Moreover, that also opens up the door for the protagonists of GTA 6 to meet other protagonists from the series.
Evolution of the GTA Franchise
Well, none of us could deny that the journey from Grand Theft Auto Part One to GTA 5 has been one hell of a ride. We got to see many in-game improvements bundled with new characters, weapons, and more. Moving forward, we will list down all the GTA games launched until now and what difference they have made in the market.
➡️ Grand Theft Auto
GTA or Grand Theft Auto, which launched in 1997, marked the significance of the franchise in the open-world segment and was no less than any other GTA game in terms of violence, mature content, and crime involvement. The first game in the GTA series laid the framework for the three main cities in all the GTA games – Vice City, Liberty City, and San Andreas.
➡️ GTA 2
The legacy was then taken forward by GTA 2, where the players got the ability to freely choose the missions (instead of moving forward in a linear motion). The concept of earning more money in the game by driving a taxi, buses, or even delivering items was first introduced in GTA 2.
➡️ GTA III
Third on the list was the GTA Liberty City, which changed the definition of the games amongst the fans. The game introduced a third-person perspective, taking the gameplay to a whole new level.
In this one, Rockstar focused more on the storytelling part as compared to its predecessors. The game also pushes past the limits by allowing the players to explore the sky for the very first time by flying a plane. This was the first game that marked the entry of the GTA trilogy in the market.
➡️ GTA Vice City
GTA Vice City provided a detailed view of the missions, vehicles, and city. The game offered access to new elements like helicopters and motorcycles. What gathered most of the limelight in the game was the ability to purchase properties and businesses.
This increased the revenue stream of the players and allowed them to enjoy the game in an obviously better way. The story of the game revolved around Tommy Vercetti, who was a former mob member. He is supposed to establish his rule on the city before the other gangs in the game eliminate him.
➡️ GTA San Andreas
GTA San Andreas could be dubbed the last entrant of the GTA trilogy. This one was different from the other GTA games in a lot of perspectives. The game included three cities – Las Vegas (known in the game as Las Venturas), San Francisco (known in the game as San Fierro), and Las Angeles (known in the game as Los Santos).
The story of the game revolved around Carl Johnson, and literally every action from his side affected the game in some or the other way. There were decent role-playing elements brought into the game as well.
➡️ GTA 4
Grand Theft Auto 4 took the franchise in a highly mature and dark direction compared to its predecessors. The lead of the game was Niko Bellic, an immigrant and former army veteran.
This one from the GTA franchise was the first ever to bring online multiplayer. The game allowed up to 32 players to join the game at a time and indulge in cooperative and competitive modes. If not that, then you can even roam freely in the city and keep the objectives aside.
➡️ GTA 5
The latest part of GTA, Grand Theft Auto 5, changed a lot of things for the franchise. The game was a prodigy in both single-player and multiplayer settings. The missions of the game were a bundle of individual activities that the players were supposed to perform in order to register development in their game journey.
The game lets the players don three different characters as the storyline moves forward, which was something seen for the first time in a GTA game. The best part about the game was (or we can say is) its online setup that goes by the name GTA Online. The online version sees numerous updates on a frequent basis, engaging the players for years after the game’s launch!
➡️ GTA 6
Last but not the least in the series is the upcoming GTA 6. As of now, there is no confirmation regarding the launch date of the game, but most of us still know that it is going to take the legacy forward without disappointing the fans.
The game will be the first ever from the GTA universe to get a female protagonist. Apart from that, there are a lot of things that we will get to see in the game, which will be discussed further in this post.
GTA 6 Map
Nothing regarding the maps in GTA 6 has been confirmed officially. Nonetheless, rumors have it that the game will be based on two locations primarily – Port Gellhorn and Vice City. The leaks related to the game hint that the Vice City area is inspired by Miami and the Port Gellhorn from Panama City.
Previous leaks suggest that the game will bring new as well as old locations from other GTA games. It will be interesting to see how many places in the game are taken from the real world and the number of places that will return from the previous GTA games.
GTA 6 Storyline and Missions
The story of GTA 6 will mainly focus on two characters – Lucia and Jason, who will be a part of a fully operational gang. Leaks has it that the story will move forward with Lucia wanting to leave the gang despite being the youngest one from the gang with a lot of potential to rank up. It is also being said that Lucia and Jason could have a romantic relationship, which will also affect the missions and have an in-game impact.
The missions of the game are still under wraps. Still, we know from a leaked video that there will be a mission where Jason and Lucia will rob a diner. While Lucia takes entry into the diner to perform the robbery, Jason waits outside to deal with the NPCs. This one by Rockstar will also allow the users to switch between characters according to the need of the hour.
Protagonists of GTA 6
GTA 6 is possibly going to introduce two protagonists – Jason and Lucia. Rumors regarding this suggest that these characters are based on the real-life notorious duo that went by the name Bonnie and Clyde. Both Jason and Lucia will be involved romantically in the game as well.
Fans are already excited to see the direction in which the story moves forward with these two and how their love lives will impact the game. Both of them will be a part of an organized gang. We can expect Rockstar to shed some light on the details of other gang members pretty soon.
GTA 6: Online and Multiplayer Integration
Rockstar has not confirmed anything regarding the future of GTA Online after the launch of GTA 6. Nevertheless, keeping the popularity of the online version in mind, speculations are that it will continue the way it runs.
There is a possibility that we may get to see two versions of GTA Online – the one currently available and another in the future that will be directly related to Grand Theft Auto 6. Whatever the case, one thing we can say is surety is that Rockstar will definitely not discontinue the online version of the game anytime soon.
Next-Gen Consoles and GTA 6
GTA 6 is obviously going to run on the PlayStation 5, Xbox series X/S, and PC. Here, the catch is that the game will most probably not support any older consoles or system configuration, which could come as a major disappointment for the players possessing older consoles. Well, the move is justified because the way Rockstar wants the game to perform could not be achieved in the older consoles as the hardware may not match up to expectations.
On the other hand, the latest generation consoles like Xbox Series X/S and PS5 will make sure that the game gets all the hardware and software that it needs to perform at its peak. Moreover, Rockstar is also making GTA 6 future-proof, as the game will be ready for a series of upcoming consoles.
Controversies and Discussions Around GTA 6
The biggest controversy regarding GTA 6 bothering the fans is that the game is going to be humbled down in terms of dialogues. Rumor mills are churning that the game will eliminate most of the crude humor. It has been one of the most critical aspects of GTA, and this move by Rockstar could be an attempt to woo the new culture.
The studio already suffered repercussions at the time of GTA 5, and they don’t want to repeat the same mistake again. However, fans all around the globe were disheartened by the news as the dark humor of the game contributed on a large scale to making GTA what it is today.
➡️ GTA 6 Price and Preorder
Another major controversy regarding Grand Theft Auto 6 is its prices. As confirmed by Niche Gamer, the game could be priced somewhere around $150, which is almost five times the price of GTA V. While on the one hand, most of the fans will buy the same because they have waited too long to experience the game;
On the other hand, spending an amount of $150 could be a difficult decision for non-professional gamers. We really want to hear the price of $150 for some premium versions of the game, and the original one will be available at a comparatively different price.
Since the game hasn’t officially been announced yet, we’ll have to wait before the preorder sections are live. You should be careful about shady websites that show the GTA 6 Preorder option. It’s a surefire way to dive headfirst into a scam. Instead, go for credible sources like Steam, Epic Games Store, Amazon, or Rockstar’s website!
Wrapping Up
So this is what we all know (or we can say is all available) regarding Grand Theft Auto 6 currently. The latest title of the GTA world is surely going to rock the gaming industry as soon as it makes it to the market.
The introduction of a female protagonist, the return of Vice City, and the dumping of rags to riches theme are some of the things that every GTA fan is trying to experience now.
In the meantime, if you really want to get a hold of some open-world gaming, check out our list of the best games like GTA to keep you occupied until GTA 6 hits the shelves.
You could also make a crew in GTA Online and dive into its massive world. In fact, GTA Online’s content is seemingly endless. Until then, keep an eye on this space as we bring more GTA 6-related news and the latest updates from the house of Rockstar!
