Most Rockstar Games fans know that the developer likes to keep its focus on one game at a time but that hasn’t stopped excitement from brewing after a GTA 6 message appeared in GTA Online. The in-game message claimed that Grand Theft Auto IV will be launching in 2019 and asked players to consult Rockstar’s official site for more information.

While plenty of Grand Theft Auto Online players were sent into a tizzy by the unexpected reveal, there are plenty that know better. Rockstar Games may shy away from events like E3 2018, but the developer still likes to give a little fanfare to its announcements. Recently, with Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar first let fans know that a reveal is coming and then launched a new trailer after that. More than likely this is the work of hackers who are trying to have a little fun at fans’ expense.

Not everyone has seen the message, though, prompting speculation that this prank is focused on those players who use hacks and mods to access GTA Online. Hacking has been a regular problem for Rockstar Games’ online experience and despite steps taken to punish those players, there are still those who sneak through. Perhaps someone thought it would be fun to trick those that willfully break the rules.

gta 6 hack message

Whatever the case may be, the major takeaway is not to trust any claims that Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming next year, no matter how convincing the in-game message may be. Rockstar Games’ focus right now and for the near future is Red Dead Redemption 2, which is slated to hit store shelves this fall. Even after that, Rockstar is expected to support RDR 2’s multiplayer component for as long as, if not longer than they supported GTA Online. There’s also the chance that Rockstar will deliver a PC port of Red Dead Redemption 2 after first confirming that everything is running smoothly with the console ports.

So no, Grand Theft Auto 6 is not releasing in 2019, but given how well Grand Theft Auto 5 sold – it continues to rank in the top 10 nearly 5 years later – there is no doubt going to be a sixth entry in the popular open world crime franchise.

Source: Rockstar Forums