With the next generation of consoles, Rockstar Games is preparing its flagship franchise's debut on PS5 and Xbox Series X. The rumor mill has been churning for months already for Grand Theft Auto 6, with Rockstar Games retaining its trademark silence. Of course there are some obvious expectations like a Vice City setting, but fans are curious about what new features the next game will have.
Fans eagerly await news of Rockstar Games' next open world epic, but it likely won't be for a while. Grand Theft Auto 6 certainly has to be in development for next-gen consoles, and it's not coming at launch, so it'll at least be a couple years until fans get their hands on it. That being said, Rockstar Games is known for evolving just as much as iterating, as each new game has some kind of new gameplay or narrative concept. Here's a few areas where Grand Theft Auto 6 would likely innovate for the franchise's next-gen entry.
Expanding Beyond Vice City
Practically every single rumor about Grand Theft Auto 6 is that the game will be based in Vice City, and that's certainly not a bad thing. It's the likely outcome considering the last few mainline games have taken place in the usual GTA cities. Seeing a modern version of the Miami-like city would be nice considering the last game based in the city was Vice City Stories in 2006. While obviously the game will revisit the iconic Vice City, it would be interesting to see a Grand Theft Auto 5 approach and explore further outside the city limits.
Considering the game emulates the wild state of Florida, it'd be interesting to see more regions like the Everglades put into Grand Theft Auto 6. There's plenty of potential in the swampy regions for mission and environmental variety, whether it's taking a fan boat across the marshes or visiting the trailer parks out in the boonies. There's also the possibility that Grand Theft Auto 6 could take a San Andreas approach and include Orlando and/or Tampa as well. That way Grand Theft Auto 6 could include versions of its own Universal Studios or the Kennedy Space Center. Considering Grand Theft Auto 5 did it with Los Angeles and the surrounding countryside, the same could apply to Vice City.
Changing Up the Multiple-Protagonist System
One of Grand Theft Auto 5's defining features was having not one but three different protagonists, each with their own special abilities and respective stories. While the story beats themselves weren't exactly riveting, swapping between three different main characters added some unseen depth to the main campaign. There were some rumors floating around about the return of multiple protagonists in Grand Theft Auto 6, which makes sense since the dynamic was quite well received.
There's been divisive rumors on whether there will be more or less protagonists this time around in Grand Theft Auto 6. One particular rumor that could be interesting was the protagonist dynamic was supposedly going to be a duo, with male and female protagonists. This dynamic could be interesting depending on the relationship of the two characters, whether it's brother/sister or the two are significant others. A strong relationship between two playable protagonists could make for an interesting story, and could justify swapping between two characters often. Plus it gives a chance to see a closer relationship between the two protagonist compared to Grand Theft Auto 5's ragtag group.
More RDR2-Esque Interactivity
Rockstar Games likely wouldn't include this aspect, but it'd be interesting to see more interactivity with Grand Theft Auto 6's world akin to that of Red Dead Redemption 2. Mechanically it doesn't have to be on the same level of miniscule detail, but players having more agency and engagement with the world around them does help with immersion. That being said, Grand Theft Auto was never a game about creating a simulatory experience, whereas Red Dead Redemption 2 was all about crafting a relatively accurate depiction of the American West.
Not to say Grand Theft Auto is a casual experience, but the game doesn't necessarily require that level of detail in tandem with the gameplay it provides. Typically Grand Theft Auto is all about a campy and thrilling experience, in both singleplayer and multiplayer with the absurdly endearing world of Grand Theft Auto Online. That being said, adding more opportunities to engage with the world organically could make for some weird and fun gameplay experiences as well. Talking to random people on the street could lead to stranger missions after making certain being nice or being mean to someone. Or just in general more types of stores or objects that players could interact with.
These are just a few overarching concepts that could, and should, come to Grand Theft Auto 6. The usual suspects like new cars/boats/plains/etc., a larger and more highly detailed city, and a fun story are all expected from Rockstar Games at this point. So long as the gameplay is as consistent as Grand Theft Auto 5, the next entry will be just as popular, but Rockstar is known for taking risks.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly in development.