Grand Theft Auto 5was a record-breaking game that earned its position in gaming history. However, for years, gamers have been ready for the next entry in theGrand Theft Autoseries. Fortunately, Rockstar has confirmed thatGrand Theft Auto 6is on the way, though it has yet to release any details as yet. With a franchise as popular asGrand Theft Auto, it is natural that leaks and rumors would flourish in place of official information, and that has been the case.
A recent article from Bloomberg, which claims to have sources from within Rockstar, has painted a clearer picture of the company’s current state and the upcoming game.Grand Theft Auto 6may be quite different from its predecessors in terms of tone, and this is a result of Rockstar’s changing internal culture. Most interestingly, thanks to constant updates, it may also have a pretty long lifespan, and it may even last longer thanGTA 5did.
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Leaks and Rumors Surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6
Anticipation forGTA 6has been high for years, in part due toGTA 5’s unusually long lifespan. Many claims have been made regarding the upcoming game’s setting, playable characters, and what gameplay mechanics Rockstar may include. One of the most credible leaks has come from Bloomberg, and in recently published articles, some details surrounding the game were released. According to Bloomberg, Rockstar has been undergoing significant change. Gamers have been seeing a bit of this from the outside, for example, with the departure of founderDan Houserin 2020.
According to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, the company has taken steps to abandon its previous frat boy culture. This resulted in the company reducing its gender pay gap and removing transphobic jokes fromGTA 5. This change will affectGTA 6, according to Schreier who claims that the game will featureGrand Theft Auto’s first female protagonist. The protagonist will be a Latina woman, and she will form one half of a Bonnie and Clyde-like couple. In addition to featuring a female protagonist, developers are also taking care to not “punch down” by making jokes that target marginalized groups.
Developers had originally planned todepict both South America and North America, but the idea proved to be too ambitious. Consequently, Rockstar scaled things back to focus on Miami and its surrounding areas. Rockstar plans to update the map by continually adding new cities and missions, which is an exciting prospect. It may still be years away before gamers seeGTA 6, however, according to Bloomberg’s sources, the game has been in production since 2014.
Grand Theft Auto 6 May Have a Long Lifespan
With such a long development period,Rockstar Gameswill want a hefty return on its investment, and it appears that it has found a way to do it. By continually updating the game with new content it can ensure the game is always relevant while continually drawing new gamers in. Furthermore, the free updates may come alongside paid content, much likeGrand Theft Auto: Online, which could make the game extremely lucrative over the long term.
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The constant updates could also ensure that the game has a long lifespan, perhaps even longer thanGTA 5’s. This may be pleasing to some gamers because, provided that the world ofGTA 6is immersive and well-crafted, it is easier to invest oneself in a game for the long term if one knows that it will be supported with new content for a long time. One of the biggest complaints that gamers had aboutGTA 5is that it had no single-player DLC, which was a big letdown to many players who had enjoyed theDLC thatGTA 4had.GTA 6’s constant updates could be a way to address these complaints and ensure that single-player gamers are catered to in the long term.
The success ofGTA 6’s long lifespan will, in large part, depend on how engaging the new region is. If it is true that it is inspired by Miami, the next game will likely be taking players toVice City. The region has been explored by prior titles, includingGTA: Vice CityandGTA: Vice City Stories, and its neon lights and 80s soundtrack have made it a fan favorite. However, much of what characterizes the version ofVice Citythat players are familiar with is rooted in a very specific period. It will be interesting to see whether the upcoming game will take gamers back to the 80s, or whether it will attempt to provide a modern rendition ofVice City.
It is worth taking into account that plenty of gamers felt thatGTA 5’s lifespan was already too long for a single-player game. Even without DLC,GTA 5lasted three console generations, and it was helped along by the fact that it had three protagonists, allowing gamers to experience the story from different perspectives. However, many gamers believe that Rockstar milked the game for far too long, and whileGTA 5’s re-release on current-generation consoles was well-received, there was also a fair amount of frustration from gamers who were more interested in the nextGTAtitle.
Grand Theft Autohas managed to remain relevant for years in part due to its ability to constantly adapt to the changing gaming landscape while staying faithful to its core formula. It appears thatGrand Theft Auto 6will be innovatingyet again, and this may result in the game having a very long lifespan. This may be a successful plan, provided Rockstar Games' updates are sufficiently engaging enough.
Grand Theft Auto 6is currently in development.
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