The expectations and predictions around the GTA 6 game are intensifying day by day, but an ex-developer has cautioned the audience to keep their expectations low. Obbe Vermeij, a former developer at Rockstar Games, spent almost 14 years with the company before quitting in 2009. Obviously, it’s been a while since he worked on the GTA gameplay or any GTA 6-related content, but during his discussion with YouTuber SanInPlay, he said “I don’t think it’s going to be wildly different from GTA 5, I think maybe people might be a little disappointed on the first day. But it’s still going to be the best game out there.”
He has no insider information on how the game is progressing and what direction the storyline is going to take, but considering the global pressure on Rockstar Games to release the game of the century, fans might want to scale down their expectations a tad bit to truly enjoy the game when it’s released.
Image: Lucia in a still from the GTA 6 trailer.
GTA 6 Predictions From An Ex-Developer, Followed By Everything We Know So Far
The GTA 6 developer insights we gained from Vermeij have inspired some wild news titles that suggest that fans may be disappointed by the game and what Rockstar Games might eventually put out, but when you consider the reasoning being his perspective, it does make sense. During the interview, Vermeji explained that there are a lot of cool things the company might manage to do with animation and AI, however, the difference in the technology we have available since GTA 5 came out is not very big.
He compared the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 and explained how there was a greater difference between what could be achieved between those two periods than the difference between PlayStation 4 and 5. It’s harder to make a big leap in technology and quality as a result. He explained how GTA: San Andreas was a significant step forward in what players could do in-game because they had time to work on new mechanics they hadn’t offered before but for the next game, they focused a little more on design. Essentially, Grand Theft Auto 6 may be very similar to GTA 5 and this may leave many fans disappointed because their “expectations may be a little too high.”
It has been over 10 years since GTA 5 was originally released so most fans are expecting a significant step forward in the animation quality as well as the in-game mechanics, but if the developer’s insights are correct, the game will still resemble its predecessor rather than bring something entirely new to the market.
GTA 6 Release Timeline Predictions
GTA 6 is expected to release in the fall of 2025 so we still have a long wait in front of us before we get another game rife with crime and debauchery. The Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 release will come first, followed by a later release for PC. The delay in release can be annoying for some players but it seems to be the more profitable strategy. GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas recently arrived on mobile for Netflix subscribers so do with that information what your will.
There have been conflicting reports from sources like Kotaku that suggest that productions have fallen behind at the company which could push the release to 2026, but other sites have refuted these claims. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick told CNBC, “We narrowed the timing because we are highly confident in that timing,” so we’re going to take his word for it.
The first trailer that kickstarted the avalanche of expectations around GTA 6 arrived back on December 4, 2023, a day before the company had originally planned to release it. Various leaks had already surrounded the game and after the trailer was leaked early, the company gave in and uploaded it themselves, expressing their disappointment at the leaks.
This was how we got confirmation of the game’s return to Vice City and witnessed its spectacular potential and the kind of gameplay it could offer. The post on Twitter/X announcing the trailer briefly became the most liked tweet on the platform. We don’t have a fixed timeline for when we can learn more about the game, but a second trailer is expected to launch by August and a third trailer later in December.
Tracking the GTA 6 Leaks
There have been some gameplay footage leaks in between that the company has done its best to take down so we’re still in the dark about how the in-game experience will really look. The cinematic trailer looks amazing so if the quality is retained for the game itself, it’s most definitely going to be a leg-up from GTA 5. The modern-day take on Miami filled with references to social media and our obsession with the online world should give us a very fresh and updated take on how we can experience the game.
One detail we do know is that the game will feature the option of a playable female protagonist this time, which is very interesting, to say the least. The game is expected to revolve around a Bonnie and Clyde-type couple, Lucia and Jason, but we don’t have too many details about how their story will unfold. They will commit crimes and be on the run from the authorities but to what end? We can’t wait to know more.
Online GTA 6 predictions suggest that this could be the biggest map we’ve seen in the company’s history, which will give users a bigger world to explore. There have also been rumors of AI-enabled gameplay, but we’re uncertain what that will entail. Some sources have suggested that the map could change to suit the GTA Online mode or the DLCs as they are released.
GTA 6 Random Events
There have been quite a few reports that suggest we’ll see a variety of mini-games introduced, which give users a range of things to do apart from the main storyline. GTA 6 leaks also suggest that the game could have random events that add a surprise factor to the world inside the game. According to PC Quest, players might encounter a UFO crash site, stumble across a mystery barn event, or willingly pick up hitchhikers in the game.
This would open up new avenues and gameplay experiences and submerge the user in the GTA universe more thoroughly than pursuing a singular storyline. Rumors also suggest the game features a few different sports like basketball, football, bowling, fishing, golf, etc. If this feels like a random detail, you’re right, it truly does not seem to be a game about stealing cars and driving over pedestrians anymore.
GTA 6 will reportedly feature multiple sports including football and basketball, along with the Miami Heat arena and Vice City Mambas football stadium. pic.twitter.com/B8sFrfhSc8
— GTA 6 Countdown ⏳ (@GTAVI_Countdown) May 6, 2024
Regardless of our skepticism about the sports element, everything else we’ve learned about GTA 6 makes it hard to keep the developer’s insights in mind and tone down our expectations. From the sound of it, Rockstar Games seems to be designing a GTA 6 metaverse where users can have a greater variety of human experiences than the real world offers, which retrospectively, does sound too good to be true.
