When you’re rolling out the most anticipated video game of the decade, a normal trailer just doesn’t cut it. Rockstar Games has announced an unprecedented convergence of gaming and streaming by partnering with Netflix to premiere an “extended look” at its flagship franchise, Grand Theft Auto VI, on Aug. 27.
The latest trailer for the long-gestating installment was released more than a year ago, finally giving fans a glimpse of Jason and Lucia, the presumed protagonists of the game. Fans praised the visuals, and they finally got a look at what modern-day Vice City would look like.
Even so, plenty of questions remained unanswered. Rockstar teased the organized crime underworld that fans have come to expect from the franchise, but YouTubers and content creators continued speculating about just how large the map would be and how much more interactive the world would feel compared with previous installments.
This will go beyond the world building
Most fans expected another trailer in the lead-up to the game’s Nov. 19 release date that would dive deeper into those details. Instead, Rockstar appears to have raised the stakes by partnering with Netflix for a more in-depth presentation.
According to Variety, the two companies believe the extended look will be a landmark moment not just for fans but for the gaming industry as a whole. The presentation is expected to go beyond the cinematic cutscenes and atmospheric world-building shown in previous trailers.
Industry analysts widely expect this to be the first substantial look at raw gameplay. Fans will likely get their first real sense of how the game plays, what the user interface looks like, and how systems such as driving, combat and physics function in Rockstar’s latest open world.
The presentation is also expected to reveal more about the story involving Jason and Lucia. While previous trailers focused primarily on Vice City, many fans believe the pair will become entangled in a much larger criminal conspiracy stretching across the entire fictional state of Leonida.
For a project of this magnitude, one surrounded by years of delays, rumors and even major leaks, capturing the attention of the entire gaming world requires something bigger than a standard trailer. The game’s reported budget is believed to exceed $1 billion, leading fans to joke that it cost more to make than the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
The gameplay reveal is also expected to kick off the next phase of Rockstar’s marketing campaign, with pre-orders already underway for multiple editions of the game.
There will almost certainly be a few surprises that Rockstar is keeping under wraps until the Aug. 27 premiere. After all, there has to be something in it for Netflix, too.
There won’t be another delay
For fans, however, the biggest takeaway may simply be the reassurance that this time there really won’t be another delay and that Grand Theft Auto VI is finally ready for launch.
Whether the franchise resets gaming standards once again remains to be seen. One thing, however, is already clear: in a year packed with major releases, Rockstar Games has still managed to have the most anticipated entertainment property in the world. That’s already a success.
