The Grand Theft Auto series is immensely popular, as Grand Theft Auto 5 earned more money than any other entertainment product. Hence, to no surprise, Rockstar Games announced its successor in early 2022. Yet, despite the company being notoriously tight-lipped about its projects, GTA 6 leaks and rumors are coming almost weekly, with a big one in September 2022. As many are fake or unlikely (such as the ability to earn crypto), we selected those with a higher probability of coming true. Of course, we'll keep this top ten list up to date.

10. The Development

As Grand Theft Auto V debuted in 2013, many are surprised that the highly anticipated GTA 6 started early development only in 2020! Yet, when you think about it, the company upgraded GTA V two times, with the PS5/Xbox Series version in 2022. Plus, the developers were busy with Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA Online. As these titles were so successful, they wanted to further focus on them. Yet, this doesn't mean that shaping GTA 6 didn't begin much earlier!

Numerous reports claim that the scenario is ready, even though it will continue to evolve. However, the changes will be moderate, addressing numerous small details instead. This was the case with Red Dead Redemption 2, as the script was modified even six years after completion.

9. The Platforms – Will It Be Time Exclusive?

As the current console generation debuted in 2020, there's no doubt that the game will come to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It's also hard to bet against the PC edition, although it looks like it'll be out a few months later. That's the usual practice for Rockstar, as with GTA V, they needed extra time to optimize it for various hardware. As you can imagine, Nintendo Switch will be ignored since it's not powerful enough. Even if Nintendo releases another console in the next couple of years, it may never come to it.

We don't believe the game will be exclusive to any platform, even for a few months. Rockstar Games wants to sell as many copies as possible, and even Microsoft or Sony can hardly compensate for that. The last console-exclusive GTA was San Andreas for PS2 back in 2004! Finally, there's no doubt that GTA 6 will have a long life, so we can expect further remasters for the next generation of consoles.

8. GTA 6 Release Date

When is GTA 6 coming out? This is such a massive game that we're sure Rockstar Games currently has no exact release date. As we've seen with Cyberpunk 2077, announcing games early and delaying them puts enormous pressure on developers and may result in less-than-stellar products. However, reports claim that Rockstar Games' parent company, Take-Two, will spend close to $90 million on marketing between 2023 and 2024. It's unlikely that they are willing to invest so much money into anything else but GTA 6, despite rumors about GTA IV remaster.

Yet, many believe the game won't be out until 2026, citing numerous reasons. These include the popularity of GTA 5, slowdowns caused by COVID-19, and the focus on employees' well-being, which has recently become a huge topic. Finally, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles are still not widely available, so Rockstar would rather wait for most gamers to get them. The situation could be better for the PC crowd, as decent mid-range GPUs are still expensive. However, other sources say that the game is already feature complete! This means that Rockstar is now polishing the game, which could appear even this year!

7. GTA 6 Trailer and Announcement

Grand Theft Auto 6 is the worst-kept secret in the entertainment industry. While we know that the game is in the works, Rockstar Games gave us no further info. So, the question isn't whether the announcement will happen but when. To find the answer, it's best to look into the past. Grand Theft Auto 5 was revealed on 25th October 2011, and only a week later, we got the first trailer. While the game was released in September 2013, the original plan was to have it on shelves before the summer of that year.

This means that the trailer for the game came about 18 months before the release. Furthermore, Grand Theft Auto IV followed a similar path since it was announced in June 2006, when the original release date was 16 months away. If we use this logic, the trailer should come in Spring 2023! Info from a proven source says that we'll learn much about the game's story and will focus on Lucia.

6. The Realism and the Graphics

Grand Theft Auto games parody the real world, so they don't aim for realism. Not counting Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, these titles always occur in fictional cities, although based on real ones. The cars are also fake, as manufacturers don't want their vehicles destroyed or seriously damaged, as we've seen in Forza Horizon 5. However, if you ask Jamie King, one of Rockstar Games' co-founders, things may change.

King said he expects toned-down humor and edginess, focusing on authenticity. This change would undoubtedly make the game distinct, which everyone wants to see. Besides, realism mods for GTA IV and GTA V add real cars and even turn Liberty City and Los Santos into New York and Los Angeles. There are even gameplay mods and graphical improvements to further redefine the experience. Luckily, GTA VI will use the powerful RAGE9 engine, which is described as revolutionary. While we know little about it, Rockstar rarely misses the mark.

5. The Characters

We never had a female lead in the Grand Theft Auto series, but that will change! This came from prominent leaker Tom Henderson and has been backed up in the massive leak. Yet, Lucia (her name) is described as intelligent and focused on hacking. However, she is not alone, as she and her partner Jason resemble Bonnie and Clyde. Interestingly, the original voice of the main protagonist CJ from GTA San Andreas, won't return. While this doesn't necessarily mean that the character won't be back, it's unlikely.

The thing is, GTA games are set in multiple universes, meaning that protagonists from San Andreas and earlier games can't appear in the current HD era. While this doesn't exclude familiar faces from GTA IV, GTA V, and their spinoffs, anything more than a cameo will be surprising. It's evident that Rockstar wants a clean slate for every release, and new characters are an obvious way to go.

4. The Locations

Since GTA III, every game in the series has taken us either to Liberty City (New York), Vice City (Miami), or Los Santos (Los Angeles). As GTA IV and GTA V covered Liberty City and Los Santos, respectively, Vice City must be next, right? Many clues backed this up, and the big leak confirms it. Furthermore, as we've seen in the videos, the game includes famous locations from GTA Vice City! These are Vice Beach, Ocean View Hotel, Malibu Club, and Little Haiti.

Furthermore, the supposed leak confirms that the game is set in current-era Florida, with Vice City only one of three cities. Additional information includes some Caribbean Islands and a vast ocean, which would surprise us. Other locations like London and Tokyo have also been speculated, but they won't feature in GTA 6. However, there are still strong rumors that we'll also explore parts of South America, including Brazil and Colombia.

3. GTA 6 Map

The map size in GTA games tends to grow, so, understandably, many think the sequel will continue the trend. After all, it will come out only on next-gen platforms, giving developers much more power. Yet, reports claim that might not be the case. This means that the game will come as a partial experience. Thus, we'll get core content in limited form, including only single-player. Well, let's hope this won't end in one of the biggest launch disasters.

The idea is for the game to constantly evolve via updates, DLCs, and expansions, which will help it stay relevant for years. If this is the recipe, it's not shocking that some think GTA 6 is the last title in the series. This means that Rockstar will build a future-proof game where they can upgrade everything, including graphics. We've already seen this in World of Warcraft, but we would still instead enjoy regular sequels. 

2. Cross-platform Multiplayer

Consoles and PCs share similar hardware, so we see more cross-platform multiplayer games. However, that still isn't true with the GTA series, even though that's not necessarily Rockstar's fault. The company would need Microsoft and Sony to agree on it to enable cross-play. If that happens, it's easy to integrate PC gamers too. As GTA 6 is such an important game, it will likely happen if Rockstar wants it.

In 2021, Take-Two Interactive filed a new patent about upgrading the online experience in their titles. In practice, this should solve the problem of long loading times and connection issues. Theoretically, you'll easily hop between sessions and enjoy more responsive controls. Of course, we'll see this first in other Take-Two Games like NBA 2K, which will almost serve as a test for Grand Theft Auto 6 Online. Yet, take this with a grain of salt.

1. The Fate of Single-Player

GTA Online is so successful that Rockstar Games could shift its focus from single-player. Luckily, they don't plan to do it with any franchise, including GTA. The Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick ensured that Rockstar would continue creating offline experiences, which will serve as a base for the online component. After the incredibly successful GTA V, he believes that games need both.

Rockstar's Tarek Hamad and Scott Butchard previously said the same, claiming that single-player remains the backbone. Besides, they want to include more of it, even in multiplayer mode. GTA V did have tons of single-player content, but it never got expansions like GTA IV. We hope that will happen with GTA VI in some form, and if not, PC gamers at least have the modding community.

We are excited about Grand Theft Auto 6, and we're sure that Rockstar will deliver another gigantic hit! Yet, we'll continue filtering credible news about the game and update our top ten list. In the meantime, there's plenty of GTA action with another GTA V remaster.

What is your favorite Grand Theft Auto game, and why? What do you expect from GTA VI? 

Cover photo: YouTube screenshot