Although 2024 seems to be passing at a rate I'm not entirely comfortable with, the release of GTA 6 seems further and further away each day.
After the release of that trailer got us all pumped for the 2025 release of the return to Vice City, it could now in fact be an extra year that we have to wait. That's right, GTA 6 could not see a release until 2026.
According to Kotaku GTA 6's development is targeted for an 'early 2025' release but it may take longer than expected to produce a worthy sequel for the decade-old GTA V. In fact, Rockstar reportedly asked employees earlier this year to return to working 5 days in its offices from April due to concerns about productivity.
While the studio is still aiming for a 2025 release, sources told Kotaku that 2026 is being reserved as a "fallback plan". Gulp.
There is of course the timeless adage about how everyone would rather play a good game eventually than a bad game now, and developer crunch is a problem in the games industry. It's understandable however to be saddened to hear the follow-up to one of the best games ever made is further away.
If a 2026 release were to be the case, it would probably be near the end of the lifespan for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Having said that, GTA V is basically on every console of the last ten years so I don't think Rockstar would be concerned about porting to the next generation too.
The announcement trailer for GTA 6 not only showed a fresh look at the Miami-inspired Vice City but also that the series will for the first time feature a female protagonist - Lucia.
If Rockstar can pull off a 2025 release date, then it looks set to be a landmark year for gamers, with the world also convinced that we will see Nintendo's successor to the Switch released in the early part of the year.
