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GTA 6 is still expected to be at least a couple of years away from release, according to developers working on the much-anticipated sequel.
While Rockstar publicly confirmed that GTA 6 is in active development earlier this year, it’s kept details on an expected launch date tightly under wraps. In a new Bloomberg (opens in new tab) report, however, Rockstar employees said they expect the game is at least two years away.
The elongated development period is partially a result of the game’s change of tone. Rockstar has reportedly taken steps to make sure its satirical jokes punch up, instead of down at marginalized groups. As part of that change, GTA 6 will feature the series’ first female protagonist, and Rockstar employees say they’re still figuring out what the next Grand Theft Auto will look like under this new approach.
Leaks aplenty
With GTA 5 releasing back in 2013, fans of Rockstar’s acclaimed open-world series have been waiting a long time for the sixth installment. This Bloomberg report is only the latest evidence to suggest a 2024 release date is likely.
Take-Two Interactive’s latest earnings report (opens in new tab) shows Rockstar’s parent company expects to spend a whopping $89 million (roughly £74m or AU$128m) on marketing between April 2023 and the end of March 2024. That’s a significant spike compared to past years’ budgets. Industry analyst Jeff Cohen predicts (opens in new tab) that spike will be used to promote GTA 6 before its release in early 2024.
On top of that, leaker Tom Henderson suggested last year that Rockstar is targeting a 2024 to 2025 launch date. At the same time, he suggested GTA 6 will feature multiple player characters, which has now been corroborated by Bloomberg.
Although GTA 6 is still a way away, waiting a couple of years may not be so bad. There’s plenty of games like GTA to play in the meantime, and some people even want Rockstar to make something completely different before GTA 6 rears its head.