The anticipation for the sixth Grand Theft Auto mainline installment continues to build. It's no secret that fans have long-awaited more info about GTA 6 since its confirmation last year.
But, many may wonder why the game's development seems to be taking longer than expected. After all, the gap between previous mainline titles was only 3-5 years, at most. But, as it turns out, there's a perfectly good reason for this.
According to the Take-Two Interactive CEO, Strauss Zelnick, Rockstar Games' relentless drive and determination to settle for nothing less than the best is the reason for GTA 6's extended development time.
To quote Zelnick:
I think that's a challenge that the folks that Rockstar face every time there's a new iteration of Grand Theft Auto. It needs to be something you've never seen before on the one hand, and it needs to reflect the feeling that we have about Grand Theft Auto. That's a big challenge for the team. Now, Rockstar's answer is just seek perfection; seek nothing short of perfection, and we'll get there.
It's essential to understand that game development, particularly for high-profile franchises like GTA is an intricate and meticulous process.
The world of gaming has changed significantly in recent years. As the demand for a better and bigger game grows, so does the budget. Rockstar finds itself having to deal with the rising bar for quality that it raised itself many years ago.
Rockstar not only has to one-up everyone else within the gaming industry but it also has to guarantee that GTA 6 lives up to expectations as the new creative benchmark in the entire gaming industry.
This is a tall task for anyone, even for Rockstar. But, this is the reality the developers have to deal with. It's not just enough that GTA 6 is bigger and more packed with content. It has to be a better game in every way as well. The commitment to make this happen naturally extends the development period of GTA 6.
As this level of immersion requires an absurd amount of effort and attention to detail, GTA 6 is bound to take longer than the usual game.
Ultimately, it's clear Rockstar is taking its time to ensure it can deliver a new as well as an exciting groundbreaking entry in the beloved series. The extended development period allows the company to focus on creating an all-time gaming experience filled with the rich stories, engaging characters, and stunning visuals associated with the GTA name.
But, the wait might not be any longer than expected. Aside from the earlier leaks, Take-Two itself hinted that GTA 6 might be coming out within the next two years. In its most recent annual earnings report, Take-Two is expecting a huge jump in its earnings for the fiscal year 2025. This may or may not be because of GTA 6. However, very few games can move the financial needle by the millions quite like GTA can.
If we believe the rumors, GTA 6 could be revealed later this year ahead of its release sometime in late 2024.
@Crusader,
I only know if it being delayed once but maybe I am forgetting something. It has been like 10 years lol
Either way, I still can't see it being pushed back to 2026. But 2025, sure.
@Genius,
Don't forget, GTA 5 was delayed a few times. So it would be something totally believable of Rockstar to announce a release date for 2024 and push it back to 2025 or even 2026.
@Crusader,
If they do have a HUGE team working on it though, they could get it released by the end of 2024. They have a year and a half just about to complete it.
@Genius,
Most likely, yeah. I don't see them rushing this one. It would be silly to do that. They need to really make it a heavy hitter. People are expecting it to be a big deal at this point.
@theRealGamerGuy,
I think 2020 screwed up a lot of plans for gaming devs but prior to this, they seemed to be keen on taking their time anyways so we can't put all the blame on covid. I know some people do and many have made it as an excuse.
@Crusader,
Holy cow. I thought it was like 7 years. Sheesh they really are taking their time. All this wait better be worth it since it is looking like a 12 year gap right now.
@Genius,
It will be 10 years in September. Crazy to think of that. It feels like it had not been that long for me when I think back to first getting it and experiencing online.
@H4ck3r,
Was going to mention the same thing. They were too busy working on other games to officially start it. I think there was concept art and general story ideas floating around but nothing was ever officially started. It has only been about a year and 3 months since they announced it so I expect it to take at least another year an a half before the game is complete. So it could very well come out in fall 2024 but I would not be shocked if it got pushed back to 2025 first or second quarter.
I think this is mainly because they didn't start working on it right away. I mean they had been focusing on RDR2 online and still adding new content to GTA 5. I am not mad at that and I get it but I feel like GTA 6 should have come out in 2020.
@Crusader,
That worries me a bit because of the delays, like you said. But also, if he is being too picky, they might try to just rush it at the end and miss a lot of issues. I don't think that will happen but you never know. I am glad they are going to take their time, just don't take too long! I don't play many games these days and I could use a fresh GTA title. It has been how many years at this point?
Zelnick sounds like he is trying to be a perfectionist with the next title which is good but also bad. This can result in several delays and other issues down the road but it does seem very promising that GTA 6 will be their biggest game yet. Like really pushing boundaries and giving other devs a reason to put more effort into their games again.