Leak Reveals Rockstar Really Wants GTA 6 to Be a Gaming Sensation

While the company has remained tight-lipped on these juicy details, other tidbits making their way to the web through various channels provide us with a closer look at how hard Rockstar has been working on making GTA 6 a major hit.

Jon Young, a research video editor and producer at Rockstar for 13 years, hinted on Linkedin that the work on GTA VI started eight years ago. Young says he was the lead video editor working on Grand Theft Auto VI between 2015 and 2018, confirming that the parent company has worked on the game for at least eight years.

The revealing makes sense, especially considering the schedule used for the previous Grand Theft Auto versions.

Rockstar started the work on Grand Theft Auto IV in November 2004, shortly after GTA: San Andreas received the go-ahead. The game launched in 2008, the same year the parent company started the development of GTA V. The next Grand Theft Auto iteration debuted in 2013, so Rockstar most likely started working on GTA 6 shortly after that.

The company released GTA V in September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One getting the reworked version in November 2014. PC gamers received the new gaming sensation in April 2015 when the Windows support went live, probably at about the same time Rockstar started the development of the next version.

Looking at all these dates proves Rockstar considers GTA 6 a high-priority product, with the development to eventually span over a whole decade. The company could announce the game this year, but the launch will unlikely happen earlier than 2025.

Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company, recently hinted that it expects a major revenue increase in the next fiscal year, so in theory, GTA 6 could launch in late 2024 or early 2025. However, the early 2025 release date has long been on the table for Rockstar, and it aligns with other big announcements from the company.

Rockstar typically unveils its top titles two years after rolling out the first announcement. If GTA 6 gets a trailer in the fall and the same schedule stays in place, then the next Grand Theft Auto iteration should see daylight at some point in 2025.

Everything is still in the rumor stage, so you're strongly advised to take everything with a healthy pinch of salt. Rockstar wouldn't comment on rumors until an official announcement is ready. Still, I expect the first trailer to be just around the corner, with October or November likely to witness its unveiling.