In the wake ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s release, all eyes are on Rockstar Games for what will presumably be the sixthGrand Theft Autogame. Of course with 2020/2021 being a likely release year, tons of new rumors and “leaks” are popping up left and right for the game. A Vice City setting, multiple protagonists, and dedicated role-playing are among the various prominent rumors surroundingGTA 6that are impossible to confirm at this point.
One report in particular, from former Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier, stated that the changes in Rockstar’s work culture has shifted its development approach in response to crunch concerns. The nextGrand Theft Autogame may have a drastically different release plan compared to its predecessors, but this is not an entirely new approach for the series. This could be more of an evolution to the franchise as a whole, not just for the developer but the game itself.
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GTA 6: Iterating on Massive Success
By report, the working culture at Rockstar Games has evolved substantially after the criticisms of its “culture of crunch.” Along with all the beneficial company-wide changes, the report dove into the specific example of Rockstar’s “next game, a new entry in theGrand Theft Autoseries” as well. According to Schreier, gamedevelopment onGrand Theft Auto 6has taken on a more segmented approach. The game will start out with a “moderately sized release” in the beginning, but over time evolve with updates and potential DLC expansions. While these efforts are likely in place to “mitigate stress and crunch” for the developers, this could also be circumstantially beneficial for the game itself.
Part of the reason whyGrand Theft Auto Onlinesoared in popularity over time was because of the regular events, content updates, in-game sales, and new missions/quests that were consistently added to the game. Born frominitial criticisms thatGrand Theft Auto Onlinewas barren content-wise, the game eventually added tons of new content like apartments and the long-awaited Heists update in 2015 and soared from there. Eventually players could start their own business, purchase offices and nightclubs, and flaunt their wealth in millions of ways. Player counts steadily and substantially rose asGrand theft Auto Onlinetransformed into an engrossing new experience.
While many figured support would end with the inclusion of Heists, the game received unprecedented support from Rockstar for years after the game’s initial 2013 release.
A New Approach, A New Rockstar, A New GTA 6
What makes this new report interesting specifically forGrand Theft Auto 6is that the game could be built off the innovations made by Rockstar withGrand Theft Auto Online. Initially releasing a “moderately sized” game (or whatever is moderately sized for Rockstar’s standards) with consistent updates may be exactly what the whole game needs, not just multiplayer. Despite the huge success ofGrand Theft Auto Online,one of the greatest criticisms of the game was the lack of single-player DLC/expansions. Even though there likely wasa planned single-player expansion forGrand Theft Auto 5, such an expansion was likely scrapped due to the burgeoning success ofGrand Theft Auto Onlinein 2016.
Releasing a paired down or condensed version of the game initially, then continually expanding the game afterwards could potentially propelGrand Theft Auto 6into an even more massive success than its predecessor. The game world could sequentially evolve as the story progresses for both single-player and multiplayer,similar to the structure of an MMO or RPG.Grand Theft Auto Online’s many expansions made the world ofGrand Theft Auto 5much grander than the single player ever could’ve managed on its own. Assuming single player is still a core part of theGrand Theft Auto 6experience, the game world could add different regions, items, or activities in both modes to craft a unique experience for the story as well as online multiplayer.
Of course this new development plan, while conceptually impressive, could still be very controversial. There will be fans out there who would likely criticism Rockstar for releasing an “unfinished” game and monetizing the multiplayer. Assuming Rockstar’s development team sticks to free expansions with microtransactions, fans could push back if these updates don’t do enough to appease players who aren’t playing online or aren’t satisfied with the base game’s content. Regardless of this, Rockstar has recognized thatGrand Theft Auto Onlinewas the money maker toGrand Theft Auto 5, despite the game’s huge initial sales numbers. Eschewing any development of the single player beyond the base release would be a shame, yet who could blame them from a business standpoint.
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An Ever-Evolving Grand Theft Auto Game
Assuming the game receives continued updates throughout its lifespan likeGrand Theft Auto 5, the game’s scope could be massive. Adding updates that apply to single player and multiplayer could potentially make this next game the biggestGrand Theft Autoentry in the whole franchise. Players would have a reason to return for both single player and multiplayer content drops, as long as they’re substantial enough and fans are invested. Extending a lot of the love put intoGrand Theft Auto Onlinetranslated into single0player contentwould help satisfy fans looking for the profound, outrageous social commentaryGrand Theft Auto’s story is known for. Updates could be as substantial as an additional area of the world map with new missions, or as small as some new guns/cars/etc.
As long as there’s parity between single player and multiplayer, this could be the most ambitiousGrand Theft Autotitle thus far. It’s possible the world will hear more from Rockstar in the coming months,according to some announcement/reveal rumors. For now, fans should be excited to jump back into Vice City, or any other new setting once the game gets its official reveal.
Grand Theft Auto 6is reportedly in development.
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