Former Rockstar Dev Warns To Lower Your Expectations for GTA 6

Summary

• GTA VI
  may not be a huge technical leap from
  GTA V
  , but Rockstar’s reputation for open-world experiences is promising.
• The game will return to Vice City with a playable female protagonist, Lucia, and potentially launch in late 2025 with a fresh experience.
• Despite concerns about the game’s potential to disappoint, the anticipation and trust in Rockstar’s brand make it likely to be a success.

With all the excitement surrounding Grand Theft Auto VI, a former Rockstar developer wants fans to understand that the game may not be as much of a technical leap as Grand Theft Auto V. While little is currently known about the sixth mainline installment in the ever-popular franchise, fans are already excited to return to the sun-soaked streets of Vice City and embark on a journey filled with trouble. Despite the hype, some have been left wondering how GTA VI could top its predecessor which is one of the most popular games of all time.

Speaking to YouTube SanInPlay, former Rockstar developer Obbe Vermeij, who served as a technical director on every GTA from III through to IV, stated that fans may need to lower their expectations when it comes to the sixth game, noting that he doesn’t think “it’s going to be wildly different to GTA V.”

He elaborates by saying that the massive technological jump between PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 allowed for some major improvements but that the same gap doesn’t exist between the PS4 and PS5. Despite these concerns, Vermeij is still convinced GTA VI will be “the best game out there.”

Could Grand Theft Auto VI Disappoint?

Nothing Is Impossible

Vermeij does go on to state that he doesn’t have any insight into GTA VI‘s development (he left Rockstar in 2009) but there’s certainly some truth to what he’s expressing. The former technical director is correct that the jump between the previous hardware generation to now isn’t as drastic as those that came before, so it’s doubtful that the kind of technical leap some players expect to see in Grand Theft Auto VI won’t be as obvious. Having said that, Rockstar has a reputation for consistently delivering the best open-world experiences on the market.

Given how long Rockstar’s been working on GTA VI, it stands to reason that the final product will be impressive. It may not fundamentally change the industry like GTA III, but it’ll undoubtedly make ample use of the hardware at its disposal and provide a unique experience. One impressive moment in the game’s trailer that stands out to Vermeij is the clip of the beach where dozens of NPCs are all doing their own thing with unique animations, a feat that would have been near impossible on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

What Do We Already Know About Grand Theft Auto VI?

Returning To One Of The Franchise’s Most Beloved Cities

Grand Theft Auto VI may still be a ways off, but Rockstar has been generous enough to share some insight into what fans can expect from the next game. After months of rumors and speculation, the first trailer confirmed that VI will be returning to Vice City, the location that first appeared in the 2002 game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Heavily based on Miami, GTA VI will take place in modern times, bucking Vice City‘s original setting of the 1980s, a theme it largely reinforced with its neon-lit streets and retro soundtrack.

As for the story, most of the narrative is still largely under wraps but Rockstar has confirmed that GTA VI will be the first game in the entire series to sport a playable female protagonist. Users will step into the role of Lucia who seemingly has a troubled past as the game’s trailer begins with her in prison before cutting to her participating in a variety of crimes with an unnamed partner. Fans have taken to calling Lucia’s accomplice Jason, although this isn’t confirmed to be his name, and it appears that the duo have a “Bonnie and Clyde” style relationship.

In terms of gameplay, it’s safe to assume that GTA VI will continue the series’ trend of presenting players with a massive open-world sandbox that’s littered with chaotic potential. Despite speculation that the next installment in the franchise would ditch the inclusion of a single-player campaign, that’s fortunately not the case but it remains unknown whether or not it will launch with an online mode similar to GTA V. Rockstar continues to make plenty of money thanks to GTA Online, so a new game could represent an opportunity to migrate its player base over to a fresh experience.

GTA VI Feels Too Big To Fail

No Matter What, People Will Play It

Given the excitement generated by Grand Theft Auto VI‘s first trailer, it’s likely that the game will prove to be a success no matter what. Rockstar has earned its reputation with a stellar track record marred by the occasional disappointment (such as the disastrous launch of GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition) but consumers will probably trust that its next major title won’t disappoint. Grand Theft Auto is practically an institution at this point so it’ll be difficult to really botch its launch.

Whether Grand Theft Auto VI does end up disappointing the community remains to be seen. The game does not yet have a release date but reports suggest that Rockstar is looking to release it toward the end of 2025. Until then, players will just need to kill time by causing chaos in GTA Online which shouldn’t be too difficult since Rockstar is still putting out a near-constant stream of content for the game.

Source: SanInPlay/YouTube