On September 17, 2013, Rockstar Games released the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 5. Almost eight years later, fans are still waiting for news on Grand Theft Auto 6 as the next iteration while Rockstar Games has maintained general silence, either stemming from a lack of development or an intentional silence. Now, a known insider is finally offering fans the news that has been long-awaited in the worst way.
Grand Theft Auto 6 has had scores of claimed "leaks" at this point in time. The most recent iteration came from 4Chan, where the proposed Grand Theft Auto 6 leak included a codename of Ricardo focusing on the late 1970s. That leak was readily debunked for a multitude of reasons, along with an October 2020 leak where strip clubs near a beach were found to be sourced from Textures.com. Now, an insider is bluntly stating what has been found to be a truth thus far.
According to leaker Tom Henderson, the vast majority of the Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks are smoke and mirrors. The false leaks arise from outlets and individuals eager to offer information on a long-awaited title that has been intentionally surrounded in silence. The reasoning for the silence is varied, but the result of silence around a theorized title in development is the same: all parties are eager to find information before a studio is ready to show its hand.
Yet why Rockstar Games has been so silent regarding the development of Grand Theft Auto 6 is far clearer. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the highest-grossing entertainment product in the history of humanity. This is achieved with a multi-tiered approach to sales, staggering platform releases along with new consoles for additional double-dip title purchases, along a successfully monetized online component. Years after release, the title remains as one of the most played games on PC and continues to dominate Twitch with the help of role-playing servers.
Revealing Grand Theft Auto 6 too early will stop the proverbial gravy-train that Rockstar is currently riding. Players would stop investing in Grand Theft Auto Online economy in anticipation of the upcoming title. It would work directly against Rockstar Games' efforts to retain active monetization within Grand Theft Auto 5 to reveal the next Grand Theft Auto. Thus, gamers anxious to learn more of the next title before Rockstar Games is ready to show its hand are likely going to be frustrated, and fall prey to consistent fake leaks.
Everything points to Rockstar working on development of Grand Theft Auto 6, and if nothing else, the obscene triumph of Grand Theft Auto 5 on all fronts is more than enough to guarantee that fans will see more in the future. Precisely when that metaphorical shoe will drop is the subject of much speculation, that many are eager to know. As Michael De Santa states to an anxious Frankly Clinton, "all things in due time."
Grand Theft Auto Online is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.