{"id":733196,"date":"2026-06-29T16:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/733196\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:58:10","slug":"the-six-biggest-questions-about-gta-vi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/733196\/","title":{"rendered":"The Six Biggest Questions About \u2018GTA VI\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"ui-rounded-5xl ui-w-fit ui-items-center motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-font-gt-america ui-py-2.5 ui-px-4 ui-text-body-md-medium ui-text-white ui-bg-white\/10 ui-border-white ui-backdrop-blur-[3px] hover:ui-bg-white hover:ui-text-black ui-hidden lg:ui-flex\" data-sentry-element=\"Comp\" data-sentry-component=\"Tag\" data-sentry-source-file=\"tag.tsx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/topic\/video-games\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Video Games<\/a><a class=\"ui-rounded-5xl ui-w-fit ui-items-center motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-font-gt-america ui-py-2 ui-px-3 ui-text-body-sm-medium ui-text-white ui-bg-white\/10 ui-border-white ui-backdrop-blur-[3px] hover:ui-bg-white hover:ui-text-black ui-flex lg:ui-hidden\" data-sentry-element=\"Comp\" data-sentry-component=\"Tag\" data-sentry-source-file=\"tag.tsx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/topic\/video-games\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Video Games<\/a>We\u2019ve learned a lot about the most anticipated video game of all time. But much of Rockstar\u2019s blockbuster sequel to \u2018Grand Theft Auto V\u2019 remains a mystery.<br \/>\n<img alt=\"\" data-sentry-element=\"Image\" data-sentry-source-file=\"article-hero.tsx\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"ui-object-cover ui-rounded-4xl\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;object-position:43% 27%;color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782752289_424_image.jpeg\"\/>Rockstar\/Ringer illustration<a data-sentry-element=\"Link\" data-sentry-source-file=\"article-info-block.tsx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/creator\/ben-lindbergh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img alt=\"\" data-sentry-element=\"Image\" data-sentry-source-file=\"article-info-block.tsx\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"56\" height=\"56\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"ui-object-cover h-full w-full rounded-full border grayscale ui-border ui-border-black\" style=\"color:transparent;object-position:50% 50%\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782752289_737_image.jpeg\"\/><\/a>By <a class=\"text-body-md-medium lg:text-body-lg-medium hover:opacity-70\" data-sentry-element=\"Link\" data-sentry-source-file=\"article-info-block.tsx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/creator\/ben-lindbergh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ben Lindbergh<\/a>June 29, 3:05 pm UTC \u2022 16 min<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Whether you\u2019ve been waiting for Grand Theft Auto VI for 13 years, 13 months, or 13 days, last week was a doozy. To the great relief of fans who\u2019ve stomached <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2025\/05\/02\/video-games\/grand-theft-auto-vi-delay-winners-losers-gta-rockstar-games\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">multiple<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2025\/11\/07\/video-games\/grand-theft-auto-vi-delay-3d-gta-delays-ranked\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">delays<\/a>\u2014not to mention rival game makers who\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/look-you-cant-all-avoid-gta-6-by-hiding-in-october-and-september-2000703984\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">cleared the calendar<\/a> for this fall\u2014developer Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive opened preorders for GTA VI and, in the process, reaffirmed their commitment to the game\u2019s November 19 release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X\/S.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">To convince people to plunk down cash today for a file they can\u2019t download until later\u2014digital supplies aren\u2019t exactly limited\u2014Rockstar published a batch of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstargames.com\/VI\/media\/screenshots\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">screenshots<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/10-new-details-we-learned-from-gta-6s-big-info-dump-2000710519\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">details<\/a>. The news blitz that broke the studio\u2019s extended silence offered solutions to several major mysteries about the blockbuster-to-be, such as: What will it cost? (A steep but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/switch-2-exclusive-mario-kart-world-justifies-its-80-price-tag-nintendo-insists-in-first-comments-addressing-cost-controversy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">not unprecedented<\/a> $80 for the base game, or $100 for an \u201cultimate edition\u201d that <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/exclusive-vehicles-guns-and-more-heres-everything-included-in-the-grand-theft-auto-6-ultimate-edition-2000709941\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">contains<\/a> exclusive content and customization options.) What will the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstargames.com\/VI\/media\/artwork-wallpapers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">cover art<\/a> look like? (More or less what GTA cover art always looks like, complete with <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-6s-cover-continues-the-weird-rule-rockstar-has-followed-for-25-years-2000708095\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">traditional helicopter<\/a>.) Will the \u201cphysical\u201d version include a disc? (Not at launch, or for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/grand-theft-auto-vi-digital-only-no-disc-rip-physical-media-1236629695\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">foreseeable future<\/a>; buying a box gets you a download code and a piece of plastic to put on your shelf.)<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Even after these revelations, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstargames.com\/VI\/only-in-leonida\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">synopsis<\/a> of setting, premise, and protagonists that Rockstar previously provided, much of the game remains a cipher. It\u2019s been more than a year since the most recent trailer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/podcasts\/button-mash\/2025\/05\/06\/grand-theft-auto-vi-trailer-details-and-delay-reactions\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">appeared<\/a>, and we still haven\u2019t seen so much as a snippet of gameplay, outside of some footage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2022\/09\/20\/video-games\/gta-vi-leak-may-not-matter-rockstar-games\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">leaked<\/a> by a hacker in 2022. Like its 2013 predecessor\u2014the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_best-selling_video_games\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">third-bestselling game<\/a> ever and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesindustry.biz\/gta-v-is-the-most-profitable-entertainment-product-of-all-time\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">most profitable<\/a> entertainment product, period\u2014GTA VI is a virtual lock to post a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/2013\/09\/20\/gta-5-sales-hit-1-billion-in-three-days\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">singularly lucrative<\/a> launch. (It\u2019s already the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.playstation.com\/en-us\/pages\/browse\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bestselling<\/a> game in the PlayStation Store.) But beyond that, its success is still uncertain. There are countless questions we could ask about the game\u2019s marketing and mechanics, but the answers to the following six big-picture queries will go a long way toward defining the reception, impact, and legacy of the most anticipated title of all time.<\/p>\n<p>Will the wow factor be there?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Considering Rockstar\u2019s track record\u2014every mainline <a href=\"https:\/\/gta.fandom.com\/wiki\/Universes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">3D\/HD<\/a> GTA boasts a Metacritic rating of 95 or higher\u2014and the time and money the studio has sunk into its next open-world opus, it\u2019s hard to imagine GTA VI not being a very good game. But the bar for GTA greatness is set higher than <a href=\"https:\/\/gta.fandom.com\/wiki\/Mount_Chiliad_(HD_Universe)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mount Chiliad<\/a>. To have any hope of living up to the unparalleled hype, GTA VI will have to feel revolutionary, not just for the franchise but for the medium as a whole.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">A mandate to blow gamers\u2019 minds has been a tall order in every era, but it\u2019s particularly tough in 2026. This isn\u2019t the 1990s or 2000s, when gaming\u2019s transitions to 3D and HD delivered evolutionary leaps in eye-popping polygon counts. We\u2019re well into an era of near-photorealistic fidelity for triple-A titles, and it already takes an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2021\/02\/26\/video-games\/video-game-graphics-reviews-digital-foundry-nx-gamer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">expert eye<\/a> to distinguish between games that look great and those that look greater. As Bloomberg <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/newsletters\/2026-06-23\/tencent-and-microsoft-add-to-painful-adjustment-for-games-industry\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">put it<\/a> last week, \u201cGamers are no longer easily impressed by technological advances because quality is already high enough across the industry.\u201d Each year of the 2020s has ushered in graphical showcases such as Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Forbidden West, Alan Wake 2, Senua\u2019s Saga: Hellblade 2, Death Stranding 2, and Crimson Desert. GTA might look even more amazing than those and other standouts, but by how much?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">GTA VI will completely outclass its predecessor, but that isn\u2019t saying much, considering GTA V arrived two console generations ago. And even GTA V has gotten two graphical facelifts via <a href=\"https:\/\/gta.fandom.com\/wiki\/Grand_Theft_Auto_V\/Editions\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">enhanced editions<\/a> released for subsequent consoles and PC, so it\u2019s not as if GTA VI will be the first next-gen GTA; anyone who\u2019s spent time in a remastered or modded GTA V\u2019s souped-up Los Santos won\u2019t be wowed easily. Yet no one who has waited an eternity (in gaming terms) for a brand-new GTA will be sated unless the game looks like it took a decade-plus to polish. As upgrades go, \u201cincremental\u201d won\u2019t cut it. Some fans are frothing at the mouth over missing Ferris wheel <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-6-fans-are-obsessed-with-why-this-ferris-wheel-has-no-reflection-2000708985\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reflections<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/time-is-a-flat-circle-as-people-online-debate-if-gta-6-has-suffered-a-graphical-downgrade-2000710166\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">perceived downgrades<\/a> from earlier looks in the morsels Rockstar recently released, although others have been awed by the game\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gta-6-ps5-pro-enhancements-ray-tracing-thrillbilly-club\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reactive mud<\/a> and a collection of cars that make Forza Horizon 6\u2019s seem <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/GTA6\/comments\/1ufdr97\/gta_6_compared_to_forza_horizon_6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">flat<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Until we get gameplay footage, we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalfoundry.net\/news\/2026\/06\/rockstar-just-released-63-new-gta-6-screenshots-heres-what-we-spotted\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">won\u2019t really know<\/a> what we\u2019re looking at anyway. And ultimately, gameplay possibilities, more than the superficial flair of a <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/is-gta-6s-long-development-the-result-of-a-complete-engine-rebuild-its-probably-more-complicated-than-that-2000684709\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">rebuilt<\/a> game engine, will dictate whether GTA VI is perceived as a disappointment or a triumph. Each mainline, 21st-century GTA has supplied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/gallery\/evolution-of-grand-theft-auto-milestones-from-ever\/2900-1552\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">significant advances<\/a> for the franchise and for video games as a whole: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2021\/10\/22\/video-games\/grand-theft-auto-gta-rockstar-open-world-assassins-creed\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dizzying, genre-defining freedom<\/a> of Grand Theft Auto III; the speaking protagonist, property system, and unforgettable soundtrack of Vice City; the massive scale and RPG-style progression of San Andreas; the (somewhat) more mature tone, moral\/relationship choices, and online multiplayer of IV; and the tripartite protagonists, elaborate but <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/why-grand-theft-auto-v-had-me-begging-for-unforgiveness-1441560081\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">linear<\/a> heists, and living world of V and its multiplayer counterpart, GTA Online.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">At this stage, we can only speculate about what the equivalents of those breakthroughs and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/the-5-most-impressive-yet-subtle-gta-5-innovations-open-world-games-and-beyond-are-only-just-catching-up-to\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">impressive, subtle touches<\/a> might be in GTA VI. At minimum, the sequel will have to incorporate and build on the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/gta-6-open-world-improvements\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dynamic interactivity<\/a> of the past decade\u2019s open-world games. Some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dexerto.com\/gta\/amazon-gta-6-page-leaks-gta-6-gameplay-features-map-details-dynamic-weather-social-media-more-3379716\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">apparently leaked<\/a> marketing copy, coupled with cutscene and screenshot clues, hints at non-player-character reactions that will put <a href=\"https:\/\/gta.fandom.com\/wiki\/Euphoria\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">GTA IV\u2019s<\/a> (or even Red Dead Redemption 2\u2019s) to shame; a fully fleshed-out in-game social media network; the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/gta-6-map-size-leak-amazon-listing\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ginormous<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/GTA6\/comments\/1pmr6s1\/gta_6_map_size_is_216x_larger_than_gta_5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">geographically<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/GTA6\/comments\/1nzocp9\/gta_6_vs_gta_5_map_size_comparison\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">varied<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/gta-6-map-comparison-open-world-scale\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">landscape<\/a> of a modernized Vice City and the surrounding regions of Florida Leonida; a vast assortment of explorable indoor spaces; and more immersive, handcrafted environments. And to a greater extent than in GTA V, missions may revolve around switching between playable characters\u2014in this case, dual protagonists, outlaws, and lovebirds Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Of course, any innovations we can conceive of in June may not make our jaws drop come November. The true test of GTA VI will probably be how fresh it feels when we finally have our hands on it. But the game is going up against a multitude of obstacles that have simultaneously raised expectations and made them more challenging to meet: the GTA series\u2019 storied past, a shift from transformational to iterative technology, and the fact that gamers have gotten much harder to impress.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the multiplayer plan?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Online listings for GTA VI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gta-6-single-player-experience-online-rockstar-games\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">specify<\/a>, \u201cGrand Theft Auto VI is a single-player experience.\u201d It\u2019s certain not to stay solely single-player\u2014but we\u2019ve learned next to nothing about how and when that will change. That\u2019s a pretty consequential thing not to know, considering that the multiplayer experience grafted to GTA VI must be central to Rockstar\u2019s long-term goals for the game.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">GTA V started out as a single-player product, too. The base game launched on PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 17, 2013, and Grand Theft Auto Online went live two weeks later, on October 1. It <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/looking-back-at-how-gta-online-has-changed-nearly-two-1730478979\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">took<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/the-good-and-bad-of-gta-online-four-years-later-1819080293\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">time<\/a> for the persistent online component of Rockstar\u2019s GTA V vision to overcome early technical hurdles, generate a sufficient (or even <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-online-is-full-of-abandoned-modes-1822637245\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">excessive<\/a>) array of assets and activities, and come into its own. Eventually, it flourished and morphed into such a money-minting juggernaut that Rockstar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/articles\/gta-online-is-getting-a-standalone-release-in-2021\/1100-6478348\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">released it<\/a> as a stand-alone product and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstargames.com\/newswire\/article\/8971o8789584a4\/roleplay-community-update\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">assimilated<\/a> aspects of the game\u2019s grassroots community.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2020\/11\/19\/video-games\/grand-theft-auto-5-sales-records\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">remunerative<\/a> as selling and reselling single-player GTA V has been, Rockstar\u2019s golden goose is GTA Online. The online mode remains one of the world\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/it-looks-like-sony-is-bringing-steam-charts-to-ps5-sorta-2000696556\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">most played<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gaming\/561980\/grand-theft-auto-5-gta5-twitch-stats-most-watched\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">most streamed<\/a> games, and its microtransactions <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/hackers-reveal-rockstar-earns-over-1-million-a-day-from-gta-online-2000687207\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">generate<\/a> more than $1 million a day in revenue. More than any other factor\u2014GTA VI\u2019s ambitious scope, Rockstar\u2019s commitment to <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/18-months-after-red-dead-redemption-2-rockstar-has-mad-1842880524\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">minimizing<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/grand-theft-auto-6-development-no-crunch-rockstar-says-jason-schreier\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">crunch<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RockstarGames\/status\/1239210621758996481\" rel=\"nofollow\">pandemic-induced <\/a>developmental slowdowns\u2014that steady stream of income explains why a sequel to GTA V has taken so long to materialize. Rockstar had scant reason to rush when GTA Online was printing a fortune for its publisher.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">A thriving online game in a landscape littered with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2026\/03\/11\/video-games\/who-or-what-killed-highguard-gaming-latest-live-service-flop\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">live-service corpses<\/a> isn\u2019t something to throw away. Naturally, Take-Two has no desire to turn off the spigot of steady GTA Online lucre, even after releasing GTA VI. The online game has <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-online-gtav-ps5-xbox-series-x-next-gen-review-impre-1848652706\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">grown<\/a> along with the power of the hardware it runs on, and in some form, it will continue to. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/take-two-boss-says-its-shown-a-willingness-to-support-legacy-titles-amid-questions-about-the-future-of-gta-online-post-gta-6\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">stated<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-6-gta-online-support-2027-november-post-launch-take-two-ceo-strauss-2000665489\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reiterated<\/a>, that the arrival of GTA VI won\u2019t mark the end of GTA V\u2019s online experience: \u201cI have every reason to believe we\u2019ll continue to support GTA Online,\u201d he said in February. And as long as people keep playing\u2014and, more importantly, spending\u2014we\u2019ll have a million reasons a day to believe him.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">What we <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-onlines-incredible-success-leaves-gta-6-with-an-impossible-task-2000687888\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">don\u2019t know<\/a> is what the next phase of GTA Online will look like. Will GTA VI, like GTA V before it, gain an online offshoot not long after launch? Can GTA Online and this multiplayer successor\u2014GTA Online 2?\u2014coexist indefinitely, or would the former cannibalize the latter\u2019s audience? Might Rockstar maintain both until the OG GTA Online sees its audience depart for flashier pastures and the game gets retired on all platforms, as it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstargames.com\/newswire\/article\/51989315o2aa3a\/gta-online-for-playstation-3-and-xbox-360-will-shut-down-on-december-1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">did<\/a> on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2021? Can Rockstar migrate players\u2019 possessions to the sequel, and if not, how will it avoid pissing off people who\u2019ve lavished mountains of money and untold hours on online Los Santos? Is it possible for the new online entity to absorb the old, so that players of the new GTA Online can visit Vice City and Los Santos? However it works, the game <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/gta-6-multiplayer-one-detail-leak-court-docs-player-count-32-rockstar-2000659780\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">isn\u2019t<\/a> going to downsize.<\/p>\n<p>Will protracted development date the game?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Remember 2013? Yeah, me neither. GTA V came out before the legalization of gay marriage; before Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/clip\/campaign-2016\/user-clip-trump-escalator\/4600800\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">descended<\/a> an escalator and upended our lives; before COVID-19 debuted and measles made a comeback; before Woke 1.0, Gamergate, and the mainstream manosphere; before Fortnite, The Force Awakens, and Twitch Plays Pok\u00e9mon; before NFTs, the metaverse, and generative AI. We got an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/what-we-got-before-grand-theft-auto-6\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">awful lot<\/a> of life <a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/we-got-x-before-gta-6\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">before GTA VI<\/a>. Imagine trying to make a single, sprawling piece of art over that extended, topsy-turvy period that still seems cohesive and topical in 2026. What if GTA VI\u2019s long-gestating story and setting seem stitched together from elements of an era that\u2019s already over?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Now, it\u2019s not as if Rockstar has been head down, grinding on the game since the day the designers declared their work on GTA V finished. For one thing, there was the minor matter of 2018 masterpiece Red Dead Redemption 2, whose production really ramped up after GTA V shipped. For another, there\u2019s the ongoing maintenance and development of GTA Online and Red Dead Online. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/gta-6-development-began-in-earnest-in-2020-following-the-massive-success-of-red-dead-redemption-2-take-two-says\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">According to<\/a> Take-Two, Rockstar started making GTA VI \u201cin earnest\u201d in 2020. Of course, the country and culture have changed quite a bit even since then, and it seems safe to say that preproduction dates back a good deal longer than that. There\u2019s no telling how long ago the brainstorming stage for GTA VI started.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">With period pieces like the original Red Dead and its sequel, timeliness wasn\u2019t a concern. And Rockstar\u2019s first vision of Vice City\u2014which <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Grand_Theft_Auto:_Vice_City#Development\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">took<\/a> only 18 months (or nine \u201cin earnest\u201d months) to make\u2014was steeped in neon nostalgia and dated by design. But GTA VI is set in the present day\u2014and while Rockstar was working, the present turned into the past. GTA III, San Andreas, GTA IV, and GTA V feel like time capsules today, but when they were new, their influences and references were ripped from recent headlines. Based on the first trailer\u2014which came out two and a half years ago\u2014some of GTA VI\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/gta-6-map-leonida-is-packed-with-references-to-real-life-events-from-florida\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">viral inspirations<\/a> are nearly a decade old.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Expired slang and half-forgotten memes can be cringey, of course, but the bigger threat to GTA VI is stale satire. Most GTA games\u2019 milieus have been snapshots that distilled specific moments into heightened, targeted spoofs. The origins of GTA VI might be a patchwork quilt of culture. As of 2022 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesindustry.biz\/report-rockstar-fired-staff-after-slack-policy-changes-prompted-discussion-in-external-discord\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">if not<\/a> 2026), the GTA maker was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-07-27\/gta-6-release-date-rockstar-cleans-up-image-after-employee-backlash\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">trying<\/a> to become a \u201ckinder, gentler Rockstar,\u201d in both its company culture and its public-facing products: In a sign of the times, GTA VI was slated to adopt a playable female protagonist (a Latina, no less) and stop punching down at marginalized groups. The franchise that had once <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2021\/10\/22\/video-games\/grand-theft-auto-iii-controversy-revisited\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">incited a moral panic<\/a> was flirting with becoming politically correct. How will that moderately more progressive ethos play after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natesilver.net\/p\/are-we-entering-a-conservative-golden\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">conservative<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/welcome-to-the-post-progressive-political-era-history-culture-4ad308c1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">vibe<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/29\/opinion\/politics\/trump-vibe-shift.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">shift<\/a>? Rockstar\u2019s previous send-ups of American culture proved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2021\/10\/22\/video-games\/gta-grand-theft-auto-iii-liberty-city-2001-first-time\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">prescient<\/a>, and this time around, the studio\u2019s knack for anticipating trends could be key to keeping its comedy and commentary from feeling overcooked.<\/p>\n<p>Can Rockstar write romance?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Speaking of dating: GTA VI seems destined to depend on romance to a greater degree than any other entry in the series, which isn\u2019t saying much where this franchise is concerned. GTA games\u2014which can always be played as pure chaos simulators, apart from their plots\u2014are generally focused on tasking players with climbing (or escaping from) the criminal ranks while causing as much mayhem as possible. On a relationship level, they\u2019re known more for San Andreas\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hot_Coffee_(minigame)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hot Coffee mod<\/a> and the more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LuzcL9KoFfg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">discreet<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=692RR6_6JsQ\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">assignations<\/a> and perfunctory <a href=\"https:\/\/gta.fandom.com\/wiki\/Girlfriends_in_GTA_IV\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cgirlfriend\u201d<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/gta-4-all-romance-options-girlfriends-guide\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">activities<\/a> of GTA IV than for tender depictions of romantic connection. In Grand Theft Auto, genuine love is rarely in the air (<a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/the-forgotten-gta-game-that-secretly-hides-a-phil-collins-concert-2000710657\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">tonight<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">GTA VI seems set to change that via its leading duo, a Bonnie-and-Clyde couple on the wrong side of the law. Lucia is a Liberty City native who\u2019s just finished serving time. Jason is a Leonida local in league with drug runners. They\u2019re out to trade their hardscrabble upbringings and run-ins with the fuzz for a better (and possibly less illicit) life, but their liaison might be bad for both of them. Sorry for the spoiler, but the real-life and fictional Bonnie and Clyde didn\u2019t have happy endings.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Rockstar has depicted couples in previous games\u2014Victor and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandtheftwiki.com\/Louise_Cassidy-Williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Louise<\/a>, John and <a href=\"https:\/\/reddead.fandom.com\/wiki\/Abigail_Marston\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Abigail<\/a>, Arthur and <a href=\"https:\/\/reddead.fandom.com\/wiki\/Mary_Linton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mary<\/a>\u2014but romance has never been so central to a Rockstar game. That\u2019s if the love of Lucia and Jason is truly foundational to GTA VI, and not just window dressing for the usual violence and lawbreaking. Rockstar\u2019s narrative ambitions are sometimes in tension with its players\u2019 appetites for wanton destruction; see Niko Bellic\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/grantland.com\/features\/tom-bissell-writes-letter-niko-bellic-grand-theft-auto-v\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">guilt<\/a> about behaving badly, a compunction most purchasers of GTA IV didn\u2019t share. Maybe Jason and Lucia\u2019s star-crossed love will supply some meaningful (even <a href=\"https:\/\/gamerant.com\/red-dead-redemption-2-morality-good-bad-wild-west-high-low-honor\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">moral<\/a>) motivation for their violence and a needed dose of pathos. Or maybe it will be a silly sideshow or half-baked B plot.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Whether or not GTA has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/rich-stanton-on-gtas-growing-pains\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">grown up<\/a>, many of its diehards have. Someone who was in their early teens when GTA III came out\u2014and who, hypothetically, had to get their grandma to buy it for them because a certain store clerk was a stickler for that 17-plus M rating\u2014is pushing 40 now. Not that I\u2019m speaking from experience. OK, I\u2019ll come clean: As youthful and hip as I certainly <a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/how-do-you-do-fellow-kids\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">seem<\/a>, I\u2019ve gotten hitched, had a kid, and begun to go gray since GTA V, and GTA VI\u2019s audience will undoubtedly encompass millions more like me. That doesn\u2019t mean the game\u2019s comedy can\u2019t be sophomoric at times\u2014no one wants GTA to be super-serious\u2014but it does suggest that grounding the game in its characters\u2019 connection could elevate the experience for some consumers instead of dragging it down. For Rockstar, that\u2019s a daunting challenge\u2014and for better or worse, the studio set out to sound newfound depths without cofounder and longtime lead storyteller <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dan_Houser\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Houser<\/a>, who departed the studio in 2020, founded his own company, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/gta-5-and-red-dead-redemption-2-writer-joins-rockstar-co-founders-new-studio\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">poached<\/a> prominent Rockstar writers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Can GTA sell systems?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">To qualify as a coup for Rockstar and Take-Two, GTA VI has to make enough money for its publisher to recoup development and marketing costs measured in the billions\u2014and then keep paying off in pure profit for many years to come. But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/patch-notes-gta-6-steam-machine\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">beleaguered<\/a> industry writ large won\u2019t judge GTA\u2019s success based solely on units moved or microtransactions completed. It will also assess how many consoles it sells.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Every other game maker is terrified of losing players and sales to Rockstar\u2019s sensation in the short term. But they\u2019re all banking on being boats lifted by Take-Two\u2019s tide in time. GTA V wasn\u2019t ported to PC until April 2015, more than 18 months after the original was released, and five months after it landed on PS4 and Xbox One. GTA VI will similarly cater to Rockstar\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/take-two-ceo-explains-why-gta-6-isnt-coming-to-pc-on-day-one\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">core consumer<\/a>\u201d first; if you want to play the latest GTA without waiting even longer, you\u2019ll have to have the latest Sony or Microsoft console. Thus, GTA VI isn\u2019t just a potential system seller; it\u2019s a potential systems seller. Or, perhaps, a whole ecosystem seller, if the game makes good on its potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">The current console generation, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/podcasts\/button-mash\/2025\/11\/13\/dispatch-deep-dive-and-the-ps5-xbox-series-turn-five\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">turned five<\/a> late last year, got off to a slow start thanks to COVID-19-driven supply chain disruptions and potential buyers\u2019 blas\u00e9 stance on the hardware\u2019s diminishing returns. Now sales are stagnant (or worse) for a different reason. The price of any given gaming console used to <a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/gaming\/2025\/08\/todays-game-consoles-are-historically-overpriced\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">go<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamefile.news\/p\/xbox-360-ps3-console-price-cut-wars\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">down<\/a> over time. In this generation, it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/stephentotilo\/status\/2070496714604110257\" rel=\"nofollow\">gone up<\/a>, thanks in part to Trump\u2019s tariffs and, increasingly, because of AI-driven RAM shortages that have caused crucial components\u2019 prices to skyrocket. The effects have been felt across the tech world\u2014Apple just <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/06\/25\/apple-raises-mac-and-ipad-prices-spares-iphone-for-now\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">raised<\/a> Mac and iPad prices\u2014but gaming machines, which tend to be loss leaders or to operate with slim profit margins, have been especially hard hit. Xbox, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.playstation.com\/2026\/03\/27\/new-price-changes-for-ps5-ps5-pro-and-playstation-portal-remote-player\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PlayStation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.co.jp\/corporate\/release\/en\/2026\/260508.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Switch<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/steam-machine-cost-ai-screw-up-2000709051\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Steam Machine<\/a>, even the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nexplayground.com\/blog\/nex-playground-price-increasing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nex Playground<\/a>\u2014no system has been spared at least one price hike. I never thought I\u2019d pine for depreciation.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">\u201cUnfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2026\/06\/25\/xbox-console-price-update\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">moaned<\/a> Microsoft\u2014which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/software\/platforms\/microsoft-doesnt-know-what-to-do-about-the-memory-pricing-crisis-microsoft-is-causing\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">partly responsible<\/a> for the RAMpocalypse\u2014in a press release last week that revealed the company\u2019s third Xbox Series cost increase but couldn\u2019t bring itself to state the systems\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/microsoft-announces-significant-price-rises-for-xbox-series-x-and-s-2tb-model-discontinued\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">eye-watering<\/a> new price tags. Not coincidentally, Microsoft just recorded its lowest-ever tally of Xbox units moved in May, and Sony suffered its <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/matpiscatella.bsky.social\/post\/3mp6ys4pix42o\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">worst<\/a> PlayStation sales in the month of May since 2000.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">The RAM crisis is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/companies-warn-ram-prices-will-keep-spiking-at-least-through-2028-2000711249\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">persist<\/a> until at least 2028, which means that Microsoft\u2019s and Sony\u2019s successor systems\u2014Project Helix and the PlayStation 6\u2014could be a ways away. And if the next generation fails to launch after the typical time frame (seven years or so), console gamers will be stuck with (or without) the machines on the market today. GTA VI is spurring a spirited campaign in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/gaming-industry\/the-console-wars-are-back-on-baby-xbox-ceo-says-we-have-to-be-very-thoughtful-about-console-exclusivity-on-future-releases\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">recently renewed<\/a> console wars: Sony has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/how-sony-secured-gta-as-a-ps2-exclusive\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">history<\/a> of marketing arrangements with Rockstar, and it\u2019s making <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/sony-is-going-all-out-and-giving-gta-6-special-treatment-even-first-party-playstation-exclusives-dont-get-2000710949\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gta-6-ps5-playstation-store-ad-marketing-sony-rockstar-games\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">most<\/a> of that partnership by <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.playstation.com\/2026\/06\/24\/grand-theft-auto-vi-plays-best-on-ps5-november-19\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">plugging<\/a> the PS5 as the platform where GTA VI \u201cplays best.\u201d That appeal <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/xbox-tells-people-to-wait-for-real-data-over-speculation-about-gta-6-selling-way-more-pre-orders-on-ps5-2000711241\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">appears<\/a> to be paying dividends in disproportionate PlayStation preorder figures, although we don\u2019t know yet whether people are picking up PS5s for the privilege.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">For years, console manufacturers have been banking on GTA to supercharge adoption of their gaming machines. \u201cGTA VI, which is only launching on Xbox and PlayStation, is expected to cause an increase in interest for those platforms,\u201d The Game Business <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamebusiness.com\/p\/why-did-playstation-buy-bungie-in\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">noted<\/a> this week. Will that interest translate to sales?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">It would, if said platforms were plentiful and affordable. At these prices, uptake may be more muted. Plus, even a universally acclaimed game\u2014combined with Call of Duty <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/call-of-duty-is-finally-ditching-ps4-and-xbox-one-just-as-new-consoles-are-pricier-than-ever-2000693036\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">finally<\/a> forsaking PS4 and Xbox One\u2014can\u2019t sell systems if there aren\u2019t any systems to sell. And a lack of RAM supply may <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/xbox-series-x-ps5-increased-demand-low-supply-gta6-2000711005\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">limit console stock<\/a> during the holiday season, when well-heeled customers might otherwise be giving the gift of GTA.<\/p>\n<p>Will we ever see a game get made like this again?<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">GTA VI is the avatar of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/newsletters\/2025-01-10\/why-so-many-video-games-cost-so-much-to-make\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">era<\/a> in which high-profile games <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/microsoft-activision-blizzard-call-duty-gta-vi-halo-1850391113\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">cost more<\/a> to make and (relatedly) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2023\/08\/11\/video-game-sequels-wait\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">take longer<\/a> to come out, a two-pronged trend that\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.videogamer.com\/features\/fallout-designer-speaks-out-on-unsustainable-games-industry\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">widely<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/news\/2026\/03\/this-is-unsustainable-madness-modern-video-game-budgets-are-out-of-control\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">described<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/2191897\/xbox-ceo-says-current-margins-cannot-continue-in-public-letter-to-staff\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">as<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamebusiness.com\/p\/epic-were-going-to-all-need-to-change\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">unsustainable<\/a>. In response, some (although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesindustry.biz\/playstation-ceo-says-company-wants-to-revitalise-live-service-games\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">not all<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/gamerant.com\/amazon-games-live-service-king-meat-new-world-shut-down-cancel\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">companies<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/gaming-industry\/path-of-exile-used-to-think-live-service-was-entirely-upside-in-all-cases-but-10-years-of-experience-and-games-like-baldurs-gate-3-have-shown-him-another-way\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">are<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/gaming-industry\/sega-has-canceled-its-live-service-super-game-due-to-intensifying-market-competition-and-i-really-really-hope-its-a-sign-that-the-industry-is-finally-correcting-itself\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">pivoting<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamebusiness.com\/p\/hasbro-is-spending-1bn-making-video\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">away<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamebusiness.com\/p\/the-new-paramount-games-isnt-like\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">from<\/a> high-risk live-service ventures. Tiny teams of indie devs are using off-the-rack tools to build <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/podcasts\/button-mash\/2025\/11\/24\/speedrunning-the-surprise-steam-sensations-of-2025\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">friendslop<\/a> splashes. PC gaming is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/gaming-industry\/the-videogame-market-is-as-big-as-ever-with-pc-leading-growth-global-games-revenue-surpassed-the-usd200-billion-mark-in-2025\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">growing<\/a>; consoles, cutting-edge graphics, and triple-A are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/26\/arts\/video-games-graphics-budgets.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">pass\u00e9<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">GTA VI is the antithesis of all of the above: It\u2019s a painstakingly, expensively, proprietarily crafted offline and live-service hybrid that\u2019s coming to consoles first. Grand Theft Auto is a genre unto itself, and the industry\u2019s regular rules don\u2019t apply to the medium\u2019s ultimate outlier. But even though fans will start counting down the days (or decades) until GTA VII as soon as VI is in the wild, we may never see another game of this magnitude made under these conditions.<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Desperate to cut costs via reduced development times and\/or head counts, companies are increasingly chasing the siren song of AI. The same week Rockstar revealed the preorder date for GTA VI, Epic Games <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/the-next-version-of-unreal-engine-is-going-to-be-filled-with-genai-tools-2000707607\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">boasted<\/a> that the next version of its industry-leading Unreal Engine would deeply integrate AI tools. The week preorders began, film producer A24 struck a <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/a24s-bad-excuse-for-its-controversial-google-ai-partnership-isnt-impressing-fans-wed-rather-have-a-seat-at-the-table-2000711181\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">controversial deal<\/a> with Google DeepMind. Amid this upheaval, Epic Games veteran (and former Unreal Engine evangelist) Sjoerd De Jong <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/gaming-industry\/former-unreal-engine-evangelist-and-level-design-legend-sjoerd-de-jong-leaves-epic-games\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a> his resignation. \u201cThis era has come to a close,\u201d he wrote, adding, \u201cThe games industry has always been an industry where change is relentless and inevitable, but it feels like we are reaching a pivotal point now and a potent mix of things. As much as I love the old way of working, I think it would be strategic to come to terms with where this is heading.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">According to Zelnick, it\u2019s not heading for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2025\/12\/17\/pop-culture\/ai-slop-meaning-meme-examples-images-word-of-the-year\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">slopified<\/a> Vice City. In February, the CEO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesindustry.biz\/strauss-zelnick-generative-ai-has-zero-part-in-what-rockstar-games-is-building-with-gta-6\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a>, \u201cGenerative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That\u2019s what differentiates them. They\u2019re built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They\u2019re not procedurally generated, they shouldn\u2019t be. That\u2019s what makes great entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-sentry-element=\"Text\" data-sentry-component=\"Component\" data-sentry-source-file=\"paragraph.tsx\" class=\"motion-safe:ui-transition-colors ui-text-black motion-safe:transition-colors\">Will that sentiment sound quaint by the time the next GTA sequel comes out? That may depend in part on Rockstar, a sui generis studio with the power to influence an industry. Will GTA VI be remembered as a testament to human ingenuity or a monument to bloated ambitions and budgets? A model for the future or a last gasp of the past? In all likelihood, there hasn\u2019t been anything like it. There may never be anything like it again. In mere months, the wait\u2014worthwhile or otherwise\u2014will end. So preorder now or pony up later; side with Sony or make up with Microsoft; see yourself in Jason or lean toward Lucia. However you play, there\u2019s no avoiding GTA. Ah shit, <a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/ah-shit-here-we-go-again\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here we go again<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-sentry-element=\"Link\" data-sentry-source-file=\"creator.tsx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/creator\/ben-lindbergh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img alt=\"\" data-sentry-element=\"Image\" data-sentry-source-file=\"creator.tsx\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"ui-object-cover ui-shadow-expressive-dark-medium ui-rounded-full ui-outline ui-outline-1 ui-outline-black ui-grayscale hover:ui-brightness-80 motion-safe:ui-transition-all\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;object-position:50% 50%;color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782752290_89_image.jpeg\"\/><\/a><a data-sentry-element=\"Link\" data-sentry-source-file=\"creator.tsx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/creator\/ben-lindbergh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>Ben Lindbergh<\/p>\n<p><\/a>Ben is a writer, podcaster, and editor who covers culture and sports. He hosts \u2018Effectively Wild\u2019 at FanGraphs and previously wrote for FiveThirtyEight and Grantland, served as editor-in-chief of Baseball Prospectus, and authored \u2018The MVP Machine\u2019 and \u2018The Only Rule Is It Has to Work.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Video GamesVideo GamesWe\u2019ve learned a lot about the most anticipated video game of all time. But much of&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":733197,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-733196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=733196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/733197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=733196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=733196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=733196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}