Grand Theft Auto 6: Everything We Know

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular and best-known franchises in gaming and expectations are high for the next entry in the series. Rockstar Games has announced Grand Theft Auto 6, though it technically hasn't given the game an official title yet. While details are thin at the moment, we do know a little about it from various sources over the years. Here's a roundup of everything we know about GTA 6, or whatever Rockstar decides to call the next GTA game.

Who's developing GTA 6?

Grand Theft Auto 6, as fans are calling it (despite Rockstar not officially announcing a title yet) is in development at Rockstar Games. Rockstar North, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, is leading the game's development, but these days, Rockstar's entire network of studios is known to work collectively on the same project, not unlike how development on Call of Duty is distributed between teams. Rockstar's latest big game, Red Dead Redemption II, was developed by multiple teams, and that'll be the case once again with GTA 6.

GTA 6 release date

Neither Rockstar nor parent company Take-Two has officially announced a release date for GTA 6, but there have been clues. Based on commentary from Take-Two, the game could be out in late 2024 or early 2025. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said during an earnings call in August 2023 that fiscal 2025 (which runs April 2024 to March 2025) would represent a "significant inflection point" for the company. Take-Two is expected to achieve "new record levels of operating performance" during the fiscal year. Many have taken this to suggest that GTA 6 will release during this timeframe, as it's such a gigantic series that has the possibility of generating tons of money for Take-Two. But it might not be GTA 6, and that might not be the release window.

"Well underway"

After years of speculation and assumptions, Rockstar Games officially announced in February 2022 that the next Grand Theft Auto was in development, with production "well underway." Whether or not the new game is called GTA 6 or something else remains to be seen.

While Rockstar isn't ready just yet to divulge specifics on the next GTA, the company said its general philosophy with new games is to "significantly move beyond" what it achieved before.

"With the unprecedented longevity of GTA V, we know many of you have been asking us about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. With every new project we embark on, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we have previously delivered--and we are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway," Rockstar said. "We look forward to sharing more as soon as we are ready..."

Expect it to be $70

Take-Two was one of the first publishers to start charging $10 more for big new releases, and one would have to imagine this will continue with GTA 6. Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick recently said the company has seen "no pushback" against the $70 price point, so you can safely expect that GTA 6 will carry this premium price point as well.

The big leak

In September 2022, Rockstar suffered a massive leak of the next GTA game, with numerous screenshots and early footage of the game posted online. Rockstar responded to the leak and said work would continue "as planned" on GTA 6, but parent company Take-Two's share price took a hit after the leak. Take-Two management also stared that the leak was "really frustrating and unfortunate," but ultimately that it would not affect the company's bottom line.

It later came to light that the person said to be responsible for the hack that led to the leak was a teenager on bail in a hotel room using an Amazon Fire Stick.

'Something you've never seen before'

Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick is known for letting Rockstar speak for itself, but he did share some words recently on GTA 6. He said Rockstar is seeking "nothing short of perfection," and that the aim is for GTA 6 to be "something you've never seen before."

"I think that's the challenge that the folks at Rockstar face every time that there is a new iteration of Grand Theft Auto. It needs to be something you've never seen before," Zelnick said. "And it needs to reflect the feeling that we have about Grand Theft Auto--that's a big challenge for the team. Rockstar's answer is seek perfection. Seek nothing short of perfection, and we'll get there."

GTA 6 rumors

Rumors about Grand Theft Auto 6 have been plentiful. One of the more intriguing rumors is that the game will have a Fortnite-style evolving map in some capacity. According to some scuttlebutt, this would allow Rockstar to frequently change and adjust GTA 6's world map, similar to how live-service games mix things up on a regular basis.

Other rumors have suggested GTA 6 will be set in the 1980s, though reporter Tom Henderson has rejected that claim, saying the game will in fact take place in a modern-day version of Vice City. In terms of playable characters, its suggested that Rockstar will have multiple playable characters, a storytelling device that began with GTA 5 and was much praised at the time. In GTA 5, the three main characters--Trevor, Michael, and Franklin--were all male. However, rumors suggest that at least one of the characters in GTA 6 will be a woman.

The big GTA 6 leak seems to back up at least some of the claims, namely that the game could be set in a modern-day version of Victy City and feature multiple playable characters.

Some of the other rumors in the mix for GTA 6 is that the game could launch as a timed-exclusive on PS5--this would be a huge deal but not necessarily surprising. GTA and PlayStation have been partners for some time already, and in the age of exclusive content, Sony paying Rockstar for some kind of exclusivity would continue that trend.

For more, check out GameSpot's rundown of all the GTA 6 rumors.