'Grand Theft Auto 6' Release Date 'Best Case Scenario' Given By Ex-Employee

Grand Theft Auto VI truly is an enigma wrapped in a mystery all tucked up in a riddle. As we've surely all learned by now, Rockstar Games is an incredibly secretive developer that plays its cards very close to its chest. We can assume that GTA VI is coming, but we have no idea when it might release, what platforms it might release on, or how far into development it is - if at all.

There have been tons of rumours and leaks regarding the next entry in the open world crime epic, of course. This is to be expected. GTA V was, and still is, an absolutely massive game, so it makes sense that its sequel would be the subject of fervent, frequent speculation. Unfortunately, with that speculation comes plenty of misinformation.

Out of everything we've heard about GTA VI (that it's set in Vice City, that it's been inspired by Narcos, that you can fly between locations), we really have no idea what's true and what isn't.

Rockstar

I say this, because you need to take what follows with the usual pinch of salt that you should apply to any and all GTA VI rumours. A notable industry insider recently shared some insights regarding Rockstar, potentially giving us some idea of when to expect the next Grand Theft Auto. The bad news is that we're apparently in for a little bit more of a wait than we might have previously expected/hoped.

Earlier this week, equity research firm Jeffries spoke with Darion Lowenstein, an industry veteran who's worked at a number of major video game companies. Among them, Activision, EA, and Rockstar. As reported by The Daily Star, one of the key takeaways from Lowenstein's talk was that GTA VI isn't coming "any time soon".

"As a former Rockstar employee, Darion noted that the Houser brothers place all their emphasis on game quality rather than hitting a deadline," Jeffries wrote in a press release. "His absolute best-case-scenario for a game release is Holiday 2021, though he does not expect an announcement / trailer anytime soon."

"We've seen online rumors and have heard client speculation that a trailer could drop as early as next month, but Darion's take is that investors / gamers will have to wait longer."

Grand Theft Auto V

There's no denying that Lowenstein has more experience and insight than most when it comes to Rockstar Games, but it seems to me that he was making an educated guess as to when GTA VI would release, rather than definitively stating the game's launch window. An incredibly educated guess based on insider knowledge, arguably - but still a guess.

In October last year, Steven Ogg - who played Trevor in GTA V - also said that the sequel would be released around 2020/2021, which clearly lines up with Lowenstein's thinking. Again though, that was very much just speculation on Ogg's part, and hardly confirmation of any kind.

To be fair, most of us would probably have agreed that 2020/2021 is the most likely window for GTA VI, so maybe our guess is as good as theirs? As always, we'll have to wait and see what Rockstar has to say, but I'd personally be surprised if we were to get the game this year.

Topics: Rockstar Games, GTA VI, Grand Theft Auto