The headline is pretty much all you need to know about Grand Theft Auto VI, coming at some point in 2025, but no actual release date yet. A press release (Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto VI, Coming 2025 | Business Wire) only mentions PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions at launch, seemingly snubbing PC owners. Grrr.
If you haven’t seen the official trailer yet (no, I hadn’t been in a rush to watch, but PGM member Vader4633 shared in the discord yesterday, hat tip), it’s embedded below and the link is here in case you want to share/embed/whatever, if you haven’t already done so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOrb93UZfPU
Rockstar Games had originally intended to officially release the trailer today, Tuesday 12/5/2023, which is when this post is being published, but for all intents and purposes the buzz was happening yesterday when it leaked online first. The buzz is correct, the anticipation for what appears, at least at this still-early stage to be a consoles-only release, is a bit too much for me.
What’s the deal with leaks and Rockstar Games?
I’ve read a few too many conspiracy theories about how, who and why these leaks keep happening, but, come on already. Everything seems to leak involving GTA VI, and this author is starting to feel something isn’t right about all these leaks for a game that is still at least a year away.
Call me cynical if you like, but I’m starting to think this is part of the not-so-stealth marketing for what is setting gamers up to be one of the most expensive games ever released. Maybe the most expensive modern game, and likely, easily, the most expensive GTA. I’ve been reading speculation on crazy prices, but not even going to bother linking them here. You can Google them if you want to go down that rabbit hole, friendly readers.
Who knows if any of this speculation is true, however, which is part of why I’m not that excited about this game, yet. It’s just too far away, way too early still, to be on my radar and adding to the hype feels unnecessary.
So, why this article at all? Because the one noteworthy thing that did come out is the game possibly not releasing to PC at launch. I say possibly, because there is still a chance that another press release indicates Rockstar is releasing this for PC.
They’ve been working on this game forever (ok, it’s been since 2014, so that will be *only* 11 years if it comes out in 2025), not quite as long as Axl Rose worked with the hired hands Guns N Roses band to put out Chinese Democracy. An album which featured some good songs but didn’t really live up to what came before it.
This is my concern for GTA VI. Wait too long, too much anticipation, it’s increasingly difficult to live up to the hype.
Will it be another Chinese Democracy? A good album, but not a great album that didn’t have Slash playing on it (Buckethead had a ripping solo on one song, however, but just not the same as Slash).
I was all-in at launch for GTA V, but honestly it never caught on for me like earlier installments: the sweet spot being GTA III for me: Vice Cities and San Andreas. Those GTAs I played a ton, but eventually they grew stale. How many times can we commit crimes, evade the police and seek the next mission? Am not bashing the game, no way, it’s mega fun and the first time I played the series it blew me away. But I’m not still playing it, haven’t played it for a long time and not super looking forward to it — again — like it seems so many other gamers are.
Is anybody else reading in this same mindset? Guessing when an actual release date grows nearer, I’ll be sucked back in. Not that hard to get me excited about this series.
Haven’t dug too deep on the creative team behind GTA VI and this speculation is also way too early, but will be bummed if it releases consoles only at the start. This could mean 2026 or later before it sees the PC kind of like Sony’s strategy with their releases. Milk the console exclusive first, then PC audience later.
As someone who spent a stupid amount of money on a high end gaming and streaming system complete with a 4K OLED monitor in 2023, I’m leaning PC gamer these days for modern game releases, looking more forward to PC releases than consoles because I want to see everything the tech can deliver For a stunning visual game like GTA VI, it should be released on PC at launch with all the fancy bells and whistles, shouldn’t it?
Or am I being picky here? Should it be enough to get this game GTA fans have been waiting for. I finally watched the trailer, seriously, after writing this article. It looks good. My reaction is … that looks good. Yeah, it appears to be a good-looking game. That crocodile snatching part intrigues me. It’s got a female main character, and good for that, but Tomb Raider had Lara Croft.
Come on, Rockstar, don’t pull a Chinese Democracy on us. Please. How forward are you looking to GTA VI? Do you still play GTA 5? A lot of gamers do. It is constantly in the top 10 on Steam, so plenty of gamers love this game.