GTA 6 is currently one of the most anticipated upcoming video game titles. Primarily because, with each successive installment in their Grand Theft Auto series, Rockstar Games are notorious for pushing the limits of what is possible in an open-world game.
As of today, it has been almost a decade since the release of GTA 5 in 2013, but Rockstar Games has been all but dead silent on the upcoming sequel. Nevertheless, it has not stopped hardcore GTA fans from speculating on what the next chapter in the series has in for us!
Will we see a return to Vice City? Will the game take place in multiple locations? Also, what new gameplay mechanics, features, and characters will be introduced to the series?
Given the recent massive GTA 6 leak, it seems that a few of our questions have already been answered! As such, in this article, we will take an in-depth evaluation of the leaked footages and try to answer questions that fans have been asking for so long now.
Rockstar Games GTA 6 Announcement
On February 4, 2022, Rockstar Games finally fulfilled their fans’ wishes by lifting the curtain on the much anticipated GTA 6 video game via their official Twitter page.
In their Tweet, Rockstar Games posted: “Many of you have been asking about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series.
With every new project, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we’ve previously delivered. We’re pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the series is underway.
We look forward to sharing more as soon as we are ready, so please stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for official details.
On behalf of our entire team, we thank you all for your support and cannot wait to step into the future with you!”
Historic GTA 6 Game Leak
However, in an unexpected turn of events, this announcement was followed up by a massive leak that surfaced online on September 18, 2023. The hacker, known as teapotuberhacker, posted 90 leaked footages containing videos and screenshots from an early, in-development alpha build of the game on GTAForums.
Undoubtedly, given the long-dead silence of Rockstar Games over GTA 6, such videos were met with doubt and skepticism. Until Rockstar officially acknowledged it, only then the fans completely believed it.
In the image shared, Rockstar disclosed that a such large-scale network intrusion had a deep and emotional impact on their development teams. However, at the same time, they also cleared that it will not result in any disruption to the development of the upcoming game.
Given the amount of data breached, this GTA 6 leak can easily be described as one of the biggest leaks in the history of the video game industry.
Release Date and Platforms
Currently, neither there is any official release date nor any information available on which consoles GTA 6 will arrive on.
However, according to a Bloomberg article: “current and former Rockstar staff reckon GTA 6 is still at least two years away from release, suggesting a 2024 launch.” Moreover, this statement is further backed up by Microsoft’s latest response to the CMA investigation into its ongoing acquisition of Activision Blizzard where it said: “The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be released in 2024.”
But before you get your hopes high, know that this potential release could very well go into 2025 as well. As per the reliable Rockstar insider, Tez2, the developers have set the deadline for holiday 2024 but “it could slip into early 2025 as well.”
As far as the consoles are concerned, it is safe to assume that Grand Theft Auto 6 will arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X. PC will also get the port but might be a little later. At the same time, the game’s chances of arriving on PS4 and Xbox One are slim.
Setting and Map Size
Since the Rockstar has officially confirmed the leaked footage to be real, we have a good sense of what to expect from the GTA 6 gameplay setting and map size.
One of the leaked footages shows an underground rail system with the words “Vice City Metro” printed on the side. This confirms that Grand Theft Auto 6 is indeed taking place in Vice City which we last visited back in 2002 in GTA: Vice City. Moreover, eagle-eyed viewers have also spotted familiar locations as well. Places like the Malibu Club, Vice Beach, and Ocean View Hotel have been seen in the leaked footage.
Therefore, Vice City is definitely going to be featured in GTA 6 but it won’t be like anything we have seen in the original GTA: Vice City. This is because GTA 6 is set in modern times while the original game was set in the 1980s. Hence, get ready to see modern stuff in the upcoming game like mobile phones and modern clothing.
As far as the game map is considered, it will be much larger. Just like how Los Santos got significantly expanded from San Andreas in GTA V, Vice City will also see a similar change. Moreover, the leaked screenshots also suggest that Vice City will also feature a rich cocktail of different environment types.
And this is not the end of the picture yet. GTA 6 is expected to support ongoing game expansions that will further increase the map size as well as add new missions. In addition, according to industry analyst Michael Pachter, GTA 6 will feature multiple continents. He said that GTA 6 “is a mashup of Vice City, San Andreas, Liberty City, and Europe. London for sure”.
Characters and Gameplay
For the first time in history, Rockstar Games is all set to feature a female lead protagonist alongside a male protagonist. This was already confirmed by Jason Schreier in a Bloomberg report. And now, thanks to the GTA 6 leak, we know their names as well. The female protagonist’s name is Lucia while the male protagonist’s name is Jason.
Although the couple is inspired by the real-life Bonnie and Clyde American robbers, we do not yet know the exact relationship between Jason and Lucia. In the leaked gameplay footage, Jason and Lucia can be seen robbing a diner. As such, one can easily guess that the GTA 6 story will revolve around a couple on the run from the authorities after a series of heists.
Moreover, the leaks have also revealed that the Rockstar Games has significantly improved gameplay aspects. Apart from the traditional GTA 5 gameplay mechanics, GTA 6 will also focus on stealth elements as well. However, even in the leaks, it is evident that the gameplay mechanics are still in early development, so we cannot say much here for now.
Final Thoughts
As seen above, the historic GTA 6 leak has revealed too much confidential information regarding the game. Consequently, Rockstar Games has been hell-bent on removing any online leaked content available. This is why no links to leaked footages have been shared here. However, early viewers have already downloaded all the leaked stuff. At the same time, a lot of legal action proceeding has been already taken against the alleged leaker.
Despite all the longing for even a tiny hint of GTA 6 news from Rockstar Games, what do you make of the leaked footages? Are you against such a massive video game leak? Share your thoughts with us and let us know in the comments below!
