Unfortunately, and shortly after the initial announcement, footage of a development build of GTA 6 leaked online. It showed pre-alpha gameplay, including some new systems and mechanics, as well as a possible look at the game's protagonist.
Despite the huge amount of information on GTA 6 found in the leaks, what the game actually ends up being remains to be seen. There's still a fair bit of mystery here, including a possible 2024 release date, and the question of who the protagonist (or protagonists) will be.
Note that we won't be linking to the links directly. Instead, here's everything we know about GTA 6 so far, including all the latest news and rumors.
While Rockstar Games has finally announced it's working on GTA 6, it has said nothing of when the game will release, let alone confirm a release date. According to a recent report by Bloomberg(opens in new tab), current and former Rockstar staff reckon GTA 6 is still at least two years away from release, suggesting a 2024 launch.
What's more, in a press release(opens in new tab) detailing Take-Two Interactive’s deal to buy mobile game company Zynga, a section on "Strategic Rationale and Stockholder Value Creation" contained a note stating that: "Looking ahead, the combined company is expected to deliver a 14% compound annual growth rate… over the three-year period from Take-Two's Fiscal Years 2021 through 2024."
In response to that, an analyst from investment banking firm Jefferies, quoted by Axios' Stephen Totilo on Twitter(opens in new tab), said: "there are only a handful of titles that can...provide management with the confidence to put out such a strong guidance; we believe there is at least one Rockstar IP set to be released by FY24."
This 2024 spike almost lines up with leaker Tom Henderson's GTA 6 release date prediction. The notable leaker, who is primarily known for his (mostly) accurate previews of Battlefield and Call of Duty, posted a video(opens in new tab) sharing a bunch of alleged GTA 6 details. In it, Henderson predicts GTA 6 isn't going to release until between 2024 and 2025, based on his sources.
Henderson's prediction has since been corroborated by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier. His report(opens in new tab) earlier this year confirmed that Rockstar has been making efforts to overhaul its workplace culture, and previously said on Twitter(opens in new tab) that Henderson's claims "[match] up with what I’ve heard".
A release sometime in 2024 looks like a pretty safe bet, then, but one leaker claims this could be wishful thinking. Creator of Rockstar Mag Chris Klippel (who has accurately leaked Rockstar Game news before) claims that while the developer has reached an important working milestone, he doesn't expect Grand Theft Auto to release before the end of 2024.
"I think that a (real) announcement at the end of the year may be possible," Klippel tweeted(opens in new tab). "In any case, I don't see the game arriving before the end of 2024."
So, maybe the 2025 side of that 2024/2025 estimate is more likely.
Unfortunately, Rockstar Games didn't share a trailer for GTA 6 alongside its announcement, suggesting that the developer is approaching its reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6 differently than its previous titles. With both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games teased an announcement a few days before dropping the first trailer for either game.
But this time Rockstar didn't tease an announcement at all, nor did it announce the game with a trailer, instead it simply included the announcement as part of a community post, making it difficult to predict whether there will be a trailer sometime soon. It's worth noting that we saw gameplay footage from an early build leak in September, though this isn't representative of what'll be the final product.
Either way, if there’s a Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, you’ll know about it because the internet will explode – and we'll let you know too, of course.
Rockstar Games hasn't confirmed where GTA 6 will take us, but there's a plethora of rumors floating around suggesting a variety of settings for the game. Although every online titbit and juicy gossip morsel looks tantalizing, a few hold more water than others.
It's looking most likely that GTA 6 will be set in Vice City, Rockstar's fictional version of Miami, or at least a fictional version of Miami. The aforementioned Bloomberg report claims a source "close to the matter" suggests Vice City will appear in GTA 6, although Rockstar's original plans were apparently more ambitious. That's backed up by the leaked gameplay footage, one of which showed a “Vice City Metro” train.
Bloomberg's report claims that, at the beginning of development, GTA 6 encompassed huge areas modeled after both North and South America. That scope was apparently cut back, however, to focus on Vice City and its surrounding area, though "the game’s world remains large, with more interior locations than previous Grand Theft Auto games".
But the map won't remain static, according to the report. Rockstar plans to update GTA 6 with more cities and interior locations after release, with these updates set to be substantially larger than those GTA 5 has received. The idea is to give developers more breathing room to create the game's expansive map and cut down on stressful overtime during development. It also means you'll have new areas to explore after the game hits shelves. According to Bloomberg, Rockstar plans to add new missions and cities to the game “on a regular basis”, giving us new areas to explore while hopefully cutting crunch at the studio.
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)Leaker Tom Henderson has similarly claimed that while Vice City will be coming to GTA 6 in some capacity, the game's map isn't as big as previous rumors suggested.
In addition, Henderson claims that GTA 6 won't be set be in the '80s or '90s, but instead will have a modern setting. This is apparently to allow the base game to "fit" with GTA Online, with developers wanting "as much freedom as possible to release as many DLCs as possible".
But it's not just GTA 6 that Henderson shared details on. The leaker claims that GTA Online, accompanying GTA 6's release, will feature an evolving map that could change each time a new GTA 6 DLC is released. Henderson compared this map to that of Fortnite's and also claimed that GTA 6's release will see additions made to the "default" GTA Online map, including new areas and an expansion to the map.
It's worth noting that Henderson did caveat that he is "not known for GTA 6 leaks" and that viewers should take these rumors will a grain of salt, as his sources may be "less reliable" than those of his Call of Duty and Battlefield leaks.
Given how it appears in the leaked build, we think a return to Vice City in some form is now guaranteed, which would tie into the rumors mentioned above. But, outside of that, we've yet to get an official confirmation of GTA 6's setting from Rockstar itself.
Rockstar Games hasn't confirmed GTA 6's story or characters yet but reports and rumors may point to what we can expect from Grand Theft Auto 6's storytelling.
According to Bloomberg's report, GTA 6 will feature the series’ first female protagonist and center around a pair of characters styled after the American criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde. This is backed up by the leaked gameplay footage, which shows two different protagonists, both male and female.
Bloomberg's report details Rockstar’s efforts to change its workplace culture, and how the developer “has spent the last four years overhauling its culture and working to become a kinder, more progressive company.” As part of the changes, “Grand Theft Auto VI will have a female Latina protagonist – the first playable woman in modern Rockstar history.” Who the second leading character is and what the nature of their relationship will be isn’t clear.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard a report of a playable female character in GTA 6. Prominent leaker Tom Henderson previously reported(opens in new tab) that the game will feature "multiple playable characters", including one female character who is set to be the "bright one", with a focus on technology and hacking.
In Schreier’s report, he writes that “the woman, who is Latina, will be one of a pair of leading characters in a story influenced by the bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde". Developers at Rockstar are "being cautious not to ‘punch down’ by making jokes about marginalized groups," in contrast to previous entries in the series.
But this may not have always been the case. According to Axios' Stephen Totilo(opens in new tab), at one point GTA 6 was to have three cities and four protoganists. If these reports are true, the number of protagonists has been cut down, similarly to the cities.
The story itself, outside of the Bonnie and Clyde stylized characters, is also unconfirmed. However several rumors have pointed to GTA 6's story focusing on drug-running, drawing inspiration from shows and movies like Narcos and Tom Cruise's Made in America.
We could be waiting a while to hear anything official from Rockstar on GTA 6's story and characters – likely until the game's official reveal – but news of the series' first potential female protagonist is certainly enough to get us excited.
(Image credit: Rockstar)Seeing as Rockstar has yet to release any official details on gameplay, we have very little to go off of currently. According to the leaked early development footage we say this year, it does seem that Rockstar is trying out some new mechanics for GTA 6. There seems to be a focus on robbery and heists, with some new stealth mechanics thrown in for good measure. From the footage that leaked (now deleted), things look very similar to GTA 5, but with some additional and updated aspects like being able to go prone. Of course, this was all clearly early development, so there's no saying what the GTA 6 gameplay will end up being like.
Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) (Image credit: Rockstar Games)Below we've collected all of the latest leaks and rumors that hint at when GTA 6 might be launched – and what we can expect from the new game. As always, take these details with a huge pinch of salt – some are old, some are from now-deleted sources and others might just be keen fans getting carried away.
Fans attempting to map the game
Rockstar and publisher Take Two are currently clearing up the recent GTA 6 leak but fans are attempting to use some of the leaked footage to piece together what the game’s open world might look like.
Using the leaked gameplay footage, which apparently had visible in-game coordinates, Kotaku(opens in new tab) reports that fans on the GTA Forums are working together to construct a map with location placements. Having to avoid the actual leaked images and footage, the fans are using tools like Google Earth and Microsoft Paint in the project.
Of course, given everything in the leak is subject to change, the project is very much speculative and it’ll be a while before we get a look at the true GTA 6 map for ourselves.
Rockstar addresses GTA 6 leak
Rockstar Games has formally confirmed this weekend's GTA 6 leak is real. Releasing a statement via Twitter(opens in new tab), the team advised this included "early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto." While they don't comment on particular details spotted in the leak, the team says it's "extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared this way."
Crucially, Rockstar's statement advises that this shouldn't cause any delays, stating "we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects." Promising an official update to this next game "when it is ready," you can read that in full below.
GTA 6 suffers huge gameplay leak
Grand Theft Auto 6 has just seen what's easily one of the biggest leaks in gaming history, rivalling Half-Life 2's pre-release leak in 2003. Roughly 90 videos were posted onto the official GTA Forums by a poster named teapotuberhacker, containing gameplay footage that's early in development. Since going live, Rockstar and Take-Two have since removed these through copyright strikes.
Updating their original post (now deleted), teapottuberhacker claimed he's looking to make a deal with Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive, issuing this statement:
“Ok, so this has gone unexpectedly viral, woke up to 3000 Telegram DM’s. If you are an employee of Rockstar or Take 2 and you’re trying to contact me, send me a message containing 22559219889638875756 on Telegram or you can email me at [email address redacted] ** from your corporate email address ** I will try to read all these replies soon – I am looking to negotiate a deal.”
Reports of single-player DLC returning
GTA 6 could feature single-player DLC according to a recent report from known leaker Tez2. Writing on the GTAForums(opens in new tab), Tez2 touched on recent reports on how the game could expand over time, claiming that “Rockstar will go back to how they were planning future content before GTA Online success boomed”.
This, Tez2 says, means that Rockstar will plan the first new cities and missions that will be added as DLC prior to the release of GTA 6. This is apparently “to allocate resources towards whatever new title they will work on after VI release”.
As for the cities that will be part of this DLC, according to Tez2, they will be "new cities or islands. Like Cayo Perico or North Yankton style. That way, Rockstar can introduce a new heist for the next GTA Online mode with each new DLC. If we are lucky, we could receive a fully fledged new city from time to time.”
This would, as Tez2 notes, be a shift after Rockstar revealed to Game Informer(opens in new tab) in 2017 that it moved away from plans to bring DLC to GTA 5’s single-player back in 2015 in favor of expanding GTA Online and working on Red Dead Redemption 2.
A change in workplace culture
Bloomberg's aforementioned report details Rockstar’s efforts to change its workplace culture, and how the developer “has spent the last four years overhauling its culture and working to become a kinder, more progressive company.” As part of the changes, “Grand Theft Auto VI will have a female Latina protagonist – the first playable woman in modern Rockstar history.”
Bloomberg adds that production on the game “has been slower than expected, largely due to the pandemic but also due to these changes, as employees grow accustomed to working at this new Rockstar. But many say morale is higher than ever and that the cultural changes are well worth it.”
Rockstar hiring push and a focus on GTA 6
Rockstar has already confirmed that the development of GTA 6 is “well underway” but a recent hiring push suggests it might be moving up a gear. As spotted by PCGamesN(opens in new tab), Rockstar Games is hiring for over 200 positions across its global studios with a large number of the roles added around mid-2022.
The jobs span a range of development fields, from UX, to production, to animation, to art. They’re also open at many of the developer’s studios across the world. The jobs are, of course, not all necessarily tied to Grand Theft Auto 6 but with that game being the developer’s focus at the moment, there’s a good chance that many are.
This follows a July 2022 post(opens in new tab) from Rockstar announcing that it’s pulling back on major updates to Red Dead Online, Rockstar has touched on its intentions for Grand Theft Auto going forward and the focus it has on developing Grand Theft Auto 6.
“Over the past few years,” the post reads, “we have been steadily moving more development resources towards the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series — understanding more than ever the need to exceed players’ expectations and for this next entry to be the best it can possibly be — and as a result, we are in the process of making some changes to how we support Red Dead Online.”
An engine ahead of its time?
The graphics for GTA 6 could be seriously impressive if a recent report is anything to go by. Journalist and Rockstar insider Chris Klippel (via T3(opens in new tab)) has said that the engine being used to create GTA 6 is “ahead of its time”.
Klippel claimed on Twitter that "the new version of the graphics engine of RockstarGames (RAGE9) which will be used for GTA6 is likely to be quite incredible", adding that he’s been “able to get very positive feedback, we really shouldn't be disappointed on this point.”
Rockstar’s only new game this gen?
According to prominent leaker AccNGT, Rockstar could be putting its all into getting GTA 6 right. In a January 2022 Q&A, when asked how many games we should expect from Rockstar this generation, they said, “If we are talking about new games, then I think only GTA 6 will be released.”
First screenshot hidden in the GTA trilogy?
A single image of a house in the GTA Trilogy version of San Andreas has fans thinking they might be looking at the very first screenshot from GTA 6. The image of the house, posted on GTA Forums(opens in new tab) (via IGN(opens in new tab)), can be found amongst the photos on the wall of San Andreas' UFO-themed Lil' Probe'Inn. That’s kind of the perfect location for the start of a conspiracy, don’t you think?
One GTA Forums user identified a real-life house in Boca Raton near Miami that looks like the house. Those who have been keeping up with the reports that GTA 6 might be set in Miami (or at least a fictional version of it) will know why that’s significant and fans are taking it as a hint about the setting. One Twitter user and self-professed Rockstar fan, Matheusvictorbr, said in April 2022(opens in new tab) that they've been able to verify that the house is from GTA 6. There has, however, been nothing official from Rockstar.
GTA 6 could reward you in cryptocurrency instead of cash
Tom Henderson(opens in new tab), a well-known Call of Duty and Battlefield leaker, claimed on Twitter that he's heard that some of GTA 6's missions will reward players in in-game payments of bitcoin rather than cash.
According to Henderson, bitcoin wouldn't replace cash as in-game currency, but instead would sit alongside it. Henderson claims that the stock market will make a return in GTA 6, with the addition of a broker for different cryptocurrencies.
These bitcoin payments apparently be rewarded for every mission but instead will be rewarded by more high-profile characters who want to move high amounts of "untraceable cash and fast".
This in-game currency will apparently not be called bitcoin, but will still be a form of cryptocurrency.
New patent suggests smarter NPCs
A new patent filed by Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two could point to GTA 6 having improved AI for its NPCs. The patent attempts to trademark a “system and method for virtual navigation in a gaming environment“ and was filed by the publisher in October 2020.
Story reportedly finished
The story for Rockstar’s GTA 6 is apparently finished if a supposed insider is to be believed.
In February 2020, Chris ‘Liberty93’ from Rockstar Mag (a French fansite) claimed the story for Grand Theft Auto 6 was wrapped up prior to the departure of Rockstar’s head writer, Dan Houser, and that the next GTA entry will still have the “soul” of a typical Rockstar game.
Although a finished story might suggest a release date for GTA 6 is close, Chris did point out that many changes were made to Red Dead Redemption 2’s story during development, despite it being 'completed' way back in 2012.
“They still made changes in late 2017, early 2018, and many little details were modified," Chris explained.
Dan Houser leaves Rockstar
Revealed in a statement(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) by Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive, Houser (who was has been on an extended leave period since spring 2019) will be officially left Rockstar Games in March 11, 2020. His brother Sam Houser remains present as president.
Houser, who has variously acted as writer, producer and voice actor at Rockstar, led Rockstar Games to become one of the biggest developers in the industry. It's currently unknown whether this will have an impact on GTA 6's development.
