Grand Theft Auto VI reportedly several years away still, set in modern Vice City
The rumor mill has churned up some corroborating sources this time
Another E3 has come and gone without Rockstar Games talking about Grand Theft Auto VI, but that sure hasn't stopped everyone else from chatting about it. Rockstar still haven't actually announced their next crime 'em up in any official capacity, but most folks are operating under the assumption that they must be working on it. They must be, right? There've been all sorts of GTA 6 rumors over the years, though new reports have now cropped up suggesting an eventual 2024 or 2025 launch date for the assumed GTA 6 and a modern Vice City setting. Here's what's being said and who's saying it, in the absence of Rockstar announcing anything themselves.
This particular round of rumors has kicked off with a video from Tom Henderson (leaker of recent Battlefield info) from last week. The main big claims from Henderson's video are that expecting GTA 6 to launch in 2023 is likely premature (2024 or 2025 being more likely) and that it will be set in modern day Vice City—the GTA series analog for Miami. Other claims include that the game map will evolve or expand over time, possibly via DLC, and that one of the multiple playable characters will be a woman.
Henderson caveats his own video multiple times, saying that all of the information should be taken "with a grain of salt". That's fine advice for all game leaks, really. There have been no shortage of rumors about GTA 6 over the years, ranging from this Vice City return to a 1980's era story. All sorts of folks have spent years digging up supposed hints and blurry photos of possible maps. This time though, reporters have backed up Henderson's claims.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier got roped into the conversation over on Twitter, saying that "everything Tom Henderson has said about the game matches up with what I've heard." More specifically, Schreier adds that "I haven't seen everything but it's still early in development, it has an evolving/expanding map (which I also reported last year), etc."
VGC have jumped in as well, backing up claims of a modern day Vice City that expands post-release, saying that this "matches what VGC has heard about the next GTA game from its own sources".
Another part of Henderson's video claims that "Rockstar Games are focusing very heavily at the moment on employee wellbeing," as one of the reasons for a further off launch date. Last April, Rockstar employees said that crunch culture at the studio is improving from the notable crunch issues that have plagued prior releases.
Given all that, it sounds like we may well be in for years of more silence from Rockstar on the subject of the next GTA game. So when the next GTA VI hoax pops up or everyone starts asking if it'll be at E3 next year, I'll be pointing you all right back here.
Disclosure: Other RPS folks live in the vicinity of Rockstar offices and are acquainted with some Rockstar folks as a result. Alas, I do not.