In August, a famous German television game show was interrupted by a member of the audience who walked onto the set to ask a video game voice actor when Grand Theft Auto 6 would finally be released.
While, to most people, this may seem like a strange thing to do, especially since a video game voice actor is unlikely to know about Rockstar Games’ intended release schedule, it does show just how frustrated fans of the GTA series are becoming.
In October 2021, the developer announced it was releasing the “Definitive Editon” of the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy. This release contains remastered versions of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, complete with improved graphics and enhanced controls available for the current and last generations of consoles.
This comes more than a year after Rockstar already announced it would be releasing an “extended and enhanced” version of Grand Theft Auto V for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Each time, fans are left with mixed feelings. They’re happy with the opportunity to enjoy old games in new ways, particularly in the case of the 20-year-old GTA trilogy titles, but they’re also disappointed that there is still no news on a sequel to Grand Theft Auto V.
Still Life in GTA V
The video games market has changed a lot since GTA V was first released in the fall of 2013. The lifecycle of many titles has been extended from a couple of years to a decade, or even longer.
GTA III was released in October 2001; Vice City followed a year later, and San Andreas two years after that. However, they were created in a very different environment as online play and regular updates were very rare. Therefore, to keep earning from their content, Rockstar (and other developers) had to keep releasing new games.
Fast forward to 2021 and gamers are happy to play eight-year-old titles provided they’re afforded new content on a regular basis. This will extend the life of games for even longer, provided the new features are not repetitive and stale.
In the case of GTA V, the updates continue to come thick and fast with some seriously big upgrades. One of the most notable and anticipated of these was the Diamond Resort and Casino update launched in July 2019.
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that adding a casino to the GTA world would be a massive hit. Online casino gaming has become incredibly popular in the real world, with video slots being a favorite among players. Many sites have augmented their slots with features like progressive jackpots and free spins that can be unlocked when completing challenges, and created different themes that have increased their appeal to a wider audience.
On top of this, the casinos included in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas were a firm favorite among players and many regularly pleaded with Rockstar to include them in newer releases.
The variety of Rockstar’s updates are partly why GTA V remains so popular today. In addition to casino games and associated heist missions, the company has pushed out car parkour, single-seater racing, new islands, nightclubs, “Arena War”, and car tuning.
Tight-Lipped About GTA 6
Rockstar is one of the most secretive video game developers in the world and has a track record of leaving a very large void of information so that rumors and speculation can circulate and provide free marketing for its games.
Nothing is different with GTA 6. The company has said almost nothing at all about the prospect of a sequel to GTA V and most of the information we have has come from leaks, regulatory announcements, and patent applications.
It is pretty safe to assume that a new Grand Theft Auto is in the works. It is Rockstar Games and Take-Two’s biggest cash cow, so it would make little sense to retire the franchise. However, beyond this, almost every piece of information we have about the game - when it will launch, where it will be set, the characters, and the mechanics - is pure conjecture.
Given the fact that the updated GTA V is not due to be released until early 2022, it seems unlikely a new title will come until at least the middle of next year, and more likely sometime in 2023.