Grand Theft Auto 6 is something of a gaming cryptid these days, with the ever-churning rumor mill spitting out claim after claim of dubious provenance. Still, every so often something a little more convincing comes along, and the latest batch of rumors concerning the modern-day myth that is GTA 6 looks to be just such an offering.
Reliable industry leaker Tom Henderson recently released a video showcasing all the "bits and bobs" that he's been able to pick up regarding the development of Grand Theft Auto 6. Perhaps the most surprising detail is his claim that, from what he's heard, the game is not set to be a sprawling multi-continental adventure like the GTA 6 "Project Americas" rumors have been claiming, but rather will bring a favorite location from GTA's past into the present day: Vice City. The reasons for this seem to be tied to the success of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto Online, as a modern-day Vice City would make it easier to tie elements and events into the wildly lucrative online game.
On top of that, Henderson claimed that while the modern map of Vice City might not be quite as sprawling as many are expecting, it would prove to be an "evolving" map that would change and, presumably, grow as new DLC is released. He suggested that this might take the form of in-game episodes like Fortnite's seasonal events, which have seen meteors crashing into the world and aliens invading, among other things. He also suggested that there would be multiple playable characters like in GTA 5, one of whom would be a female hacker.
Unfortunately, not all the rumored developments were so positive. Having previously suggested a 2023/24 release window for Grand Theft Auto 6, Henderson now suspects that it could be closer to 2024/25. The reasons he flags up are understandable: for one thing, the game is apparently looking to release solely on current generation consoles and PC, so with shortages of PS5 and Xbox Series consoles still plaguing the market it's smart to wait for the prospective install base to grow a bit.
The other main reason Henderson suggests for the delay is Rockstar's commitment to improving its workplace culture and reducing crunch. After a 2018 report that revealed the company's severe crunch policies among other things, Rockstar appears to be trying to be reasonable in its expectations of its employees and prioritizing their wellbeing. While this may well mean a delay to the release of GTA 6, fans can at least feel fairly confident that the game itself will be made to the best of its developers' abilities.
Of course, by Henderson's own admission, he isn't known for Grand Theft Auto news, sticking primarily to Call of Duty and Battlefield leaks in the past. As with any leaks and rumors, all this information should be taken with a grain of salt until it's confirmed by Rockstar itself.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is rumored to be in development for unspecified platforms.