Nearly 23 years ago, Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto 3. The series was known by that point for its top-down 2D crime capers and chaos, but this was another beast entirely. Featuring a fully 3D open world to explore, a third-person perspective so players could experience everything on the street, a proper storyline with high-profile actors, and much more, it caused a stir in the industry. It wasn’t the first open-world game ever made, but it offered perhaps the most polished combination of tropes seen throughout various games.
Of course, the rest is history, with follow-ups like Vice City, San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto 4 and Grand Theft Auto 5 going on to become progressively bigger hits. Grand Theft Auto 6 is now on the horizon, launching in Fall 2025, and the official trailer reveal alone has over 202 million views.
Such is the anticipation that it’s expected to uplift the entire industry. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in March, Circana analyst Matt Piscatella said the sequel would spark “renewed interest” for games, adding, “There’s probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry, so no pressure.”
It seems a given for the follow-up to one of the most successful titles ever – after all, Grand Theft Auto 5 has shipped over 200 million units and is currently the second best-selling game in history. However, what if Grand Theft Auto 6 isn’t that much of a leap over its predecessor? What if it doesn’t end up being “wildly different”?
Former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij thinks that may be the case. In a recent interview with SanInPlay, he admitted that the reveal trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 looked “pretty amazing.” One moment that stuck out was on the beach, showcasing multiple characters with unique animations, just doing their own thing. There was also praise for the Miami vibe, which Vermeij believes suits GTA quite well.
However, he doesn’t believe it will be “wildly different from Grand Theft Auto 5” and that “maybe people might be a little disappointed.” Granted, he still thinks it will be the “best game out there.”
Some background on Vermeij’s experience – he was heavily involved in programming for the franchise from Grand Theft Auto 3 to Grand Theft Auto 4, even receiving a nomination at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2005 for Game Design alongside several other team members. One of the key reasons he feels that Grand Theft Auto 6 won’t be that different from GTA 5 comes down to technology, particularly the lack of any significant jumps between the console generations.
“The technology is moving much slower…like the difference between the PS1 and PS2 was enormous, and PS4 and PS5 is not that big. You don’t really have that technology jump to make things different and better. So yeah, I think GTA 6 will not be wildly different from GTA 5.”
Of course, when questioned if that lack of significant difference could lead to disappointment, he replied, “I don’t know, maybe they pulled it off. Maybe it’s amazing, but I think some people might…their expectations might be a little too high. Because you can never have that jump. The jump from GTA 2 to GTA 3 was big, and from San Andreas to GTA 4 was very big. I don’t think we can ever see a jump like that again.”
Vermeij isn’t wrong – the current console generation has faced extensive criticism for its lack of significant graphical and gameplay leaps alongside the continued existence of cross-gen titles. There are arguments about how stunted their beginnings were, given global events at the time of launch. However, several years later, the number of advancements in traditional genre formulas has felt somewhat inadequate.
Grand Theft Auto 6 also has its development hang-ups if rumors are to be believed. In 2020, Jason Schreier reported that the title would be “moderately sized” compared to Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Granted, it’s still pretty big by Rockstar’s standards, but the goal is to expand the game with post-launch updates.
Insider-Gaming’s Tom Henderson echoed similar statements in 2021 about the map growing over time while reporting multiple protagonists and Vice City as a setting. Later that year, Rockstar Magazine reported that development had allegedly been rebooted in 2020, with several gameplay and narrative components seeing changes in 2019. In December 2021, development was cited as chaotic, with some aspects noted as being disappointing for several people.
Further reports in 2022 indicated that GTA 6 was meant to be set in “large sections” of North and South America, offering three cities with four protagonists. It would eventually come down to the modern Vice City and two protagonists. Once again, rumors indicated that the development team would add missions and even cities post-launch. Though Take-Two Interactive allegedly planned to announce the game in 2020, the supposed reboot caused a change of plans. The pandemic, alongside cutting back on overtime and improving overall conditions, also reportedly contributed to longer-than-expected development.
All these reasons alone could result in the developer playing it safe in several aspects. A report from October 2023 courtesy of Rockstar Magazine outlined potential features like realistic sunsets and sunrises, a real-time weather system with realistic wind that “batters vegetation” and real-time physically simulated water for surfing. That’s on top of all the graphical improvements, but it also noted that the driving was similar to Grand Theft Auto 5.
Some may feel that it’s better to stick to what works, while others may wonder how the title could be in development for so long without making significant advancements to the driving. It will ultimately depend on the player how much of a dealbreaker it is (if that’s actually the case, of course).
At the end of the day, it comes down to the player. Even if Grand Theft Auto 6 iterates on previous systems without revolutionizing them, is that really so bad? If it delivers a memorable experience with well-written characters, fun open-world activities, incredible environments, great attention to detail, and a compelling narrative, would it really be disappointing?
It’s hard to say because the sheer audience of these titles is as vast as the range of expectations. Some love walking around the cities and observing NPCs, capturing extensive images of locales and comparing them to their real-life inspirations. There are dedicated communities for the urban legends and myths (the Mount Chiliad Mystery being one example).
Then you have those who put in the hours, slowly clearing the story and never touching the optional content but still having a great time. Would a lack of game-changing features bother any of the above when it’s the actual content and the world viewed through GTA’s patented brand of madness that they’re after? Of course, there’s also the GTA Online audience, which may have a completely different set of expectations (if the sequel even features an online component).
At this point, it’s hard to say, but Take-Two Interactive noting that the team is “seeking perfection”, and that the title will only launch once it’s “optimized creatively” seemingly indicates a vision for Grand Theft Auto 6. We’ll have to wait and see if it’s one to subscribe to. However, its launch is monumental, especially in a year with many other heavy hitters. Even if you’re not on the hype train, all eyes are on Rockstar to deliver, whether it’s pushing boundaries and rewriting the genre’s rules or sticking to what it does best.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
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