Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V is the #4 best-selling video game of all time, beat out only by Minecraft, Wii Sports, and Tetris. The game made $1 billion in its first three days, and to date has sold more than 60 million copies. It goes without saying that with sales figures like that, Rockstar will want to produce a follow-up at some point.
And it looks like that’s just what the company is doing, with word coming that Grand Theft Auto 6 is already in the works. It’s still early in development, though, so early in fact the company hasn’t even decided on a setting for the game yet.
TechRadar reported that its sources confirmed work has begun on Grand Theft Auto 6, though it will likely be a few years before the game sees a release. This would give the game a release approximately four to six years after GTAV, which is around the same timeframe seen in between 2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV and GTAV. The game will likely feature Rockstar’s new game engine, which according to speculation may first be seen in the rumored-but-currently-unannounced Red Dead Redemption 2. Given the increase in game world size for open-world games, one can assume that GTA6 will be at least as large in scope as Grand Theft Auto V and could very well be larger.
While Grand Theft Auto 6 doesn’t have a setting yet, Rockstar is known to scout different settings and even take trips to real-world cities to get a feel for them. TechRadar’s sources mentioned a trip that Rockstar took to Tokyo around the time of Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City because the company was interested in doing a game set in Tokyo (or at least a game world equivalent). A trademark for Grand Theft Auto: Tokyo was even filed in 2003, along with Grand Theft Auto: Bogota and Grand Theft Auto: Sin City. The road system in Tokyo was eventually decided to be too problematic to continue work on the game, however, and over time the company realized it would be difficult to move the setting outside of the United States because of some of the brands and cars that have become series staples being US-centric.
A sixth installment of the Grand Theft Auto series is certainly welcome, though it’s a shame that nothing ever came of GTA: Tokyo. While the series certainly has strong roots in its US settings, it would be interesting to see the action take place in an international locale. They’d likely go with the tried-but-true “fish out of water” storyline that would see an American getting caught up in the action overseas, if for no other reason than to keep the same sort of characterization that’s worked so well for GTA’s main characters in recent years. Maybe one of these days Rockstar will revive the concept, perhaps as a spinoff for GTA6 or some other future game.
Keep in mind there may still be a little while before Rockstar confirms Grand Theft Auto 6 is in the works, especially given how long GTAV’s popularity lasted. If the rumors are true, the company’s next title will be the Red Dead Redemption sequel and they’ll spend a lot of time and effort promoting that game. Once it’s released and the hype dies down, that’s when we’re most likely to see the GTA6 marketing machine start coming to life.
Next: The Last of Us Recreated in Grand Theft Auto 5
Source: TechRadar
