Grand Theft Auto is a popular game franchise with a loyal following. It’s no wonder fans of the franchise are eagerly awaiting any news on the newest installment, GTA 6. There have been numerous leaks and rumors so far, which are keeping fans excited. However, those that were expecting a 10th-anniversary release date in September of this year, may have to wait longer.
GTA 5 was released in September 2013, which would make September 2023 its tenth anniversary. In February 2022, Rockstar games announced that they’re working on a new installment to the series. While many fans hoped the game would be ready for an anniversary launch, a recent leak could show otherwise.
According to a reputable GTA leaker, Tez2, the game is aiming for a 2024 holiday launch. However, it should be important to note that there have already been numerous delays that have already shifted the release date a few times. As such, there’s also a possibility that the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 could be delayed even further and only released in 2025.
Tez2 also speculates that the developers might cut content intended for the main game in order to get it to release sooner. The content being cut might be released as DLCs later on. This would be drastically different from what the developers did with the predecessor, GTA 5. Grand Theft Auto 5 continues to see new content being added to the online game. However, the single-player version has seen no additional content since its release 10 years ago.
The reputable outlet, Insider Gaming, has also confirmed that this leak is in line with what they’ve heard. They also believe that Rockstar will only be releasing more official information closer to the end of this year.
Insider Gaming has also shared one reason for the long wait, according to their sources. The reason is that Rockstar will only be releasing GTA 6 on current hardware such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. In order to ensure a successful release; they have to ensure that the install base for those systems can accommodate millions of units. This means they want to give some time for fans of the franchise, as well as newcomers, to get the latest consoles before they release the game.
They’re basing this decision on previous sales, amongst other considerations. For example, GTA 5 was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 just a few months before the new consoles were released. As such, the install base for these consoles was already established. They then proceeded to re-release the game for newer consoles a year later. This led to tremendous success and since its release, it’s become one of the highest-selling games.
Alternatively, GTA 4 was released very early on the PS 3 and Xbox 360’s lifecycle. At that point, an install base wasn’t established yet. This is one of the reasons why the game only sold one-seventh of the copies of GTA 5. Even its predecessor, GTA San Andreas, sold more copies and remains a fan favorite to this day.
So, if you were looking forward to enjoying the newest GTA this year, you might have to put those plans on hold. Likely, we’ll only see the game late next year or even in 2025. We look forward to receiving more details about this highly anticipated title.
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