- Kyle Chua
Grand Theft Auto 6 Reportedly Features Franchise’s First Female Lead
The hype train for Grand Theft Auto 6 – or GTA 6 for short – appears to be in full steam ever since the game was confirmed to be in active development earlier this year.
While developer and publisher Rockstar Games has so far been pretty tight-lipped, many new details are now emerging about the long-anticipated release courtesy of Bloomberg.
Citing sources close to the development, the news outlet claims the latest instalment of the open-world franchise features two playable bank robbers in an original story inspired by the real-life criminal couple Bonnie and Clyde. One of the playable leads is said to be a female character – a first for the franchise.
The game is set in a fictionalised, modern-day version of Miami, suggesting the franchise is headed back to Vice City, the setting of the aptly titled GTA: Vice City. What’s more, the new setting features more interior locations than any GTA game before.
Rockstar is also planning to continually update the game over time, adding more locations and missions, though it wasn’t stated whether this applies to which modes – single-player, multiplayer or perhaps both.
Considering that nothing about the game has been officially revealed so far, it’s best to take the information with a grain of salt. Development is still ongoing, so changes are still possible.
Some fans are sceptical that Rockstar can deliver on its plans, considering how the studio allegedly "promised" single-player expansions for GTA 5 which have yet to arrive. Taking to Reddit, one fan wrote, "I'll believe it when I see it," in reference to how Rockstar plans to expand the city of GTA 6 through updates. The studio, however, didn't seem to have plans to release additional single-player content for GTA 5 in the first place – or at least that's what it wants fans to believe. Rockstar's Director of Design Imran Sarwar told GameInformer in a 2017 interview that they already felt what's on the disc is "very, very complete" and expansions were not "possible or necessary".
Rockstar itself is grappling with internal changes right now, with the company reportedly restructuring to accommodate a healthier work environment. This comes in response to allegations that the studio previously enforced labour-intensive crunch work schedules just to meet release targets. The studio has now converted more contractual employees to full-time, hired more producers and started to provide mental wellness benefits, among other efforts.
The content of Rockstar’s games is also expected to see some change, with the studio supposedly reexamining its writing to make it more culturally sensitive. Bloomberg, for example, reports that a Cops and Robbers-inspired mode called Cops' n' Crooks was developed for GTA Online. But the mode was shelved in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer in 2020.
How these changes will affect the final game is unclear right now. Only time will tell, with the game expected to hit stores before March 2024.
GTA 6 reportedly features two playable bank robbers in an original story inspired by the real-life criminal couple Bonnie and Clyde
One of the playable leads is said to be a female character – a first for the franchise.
The game is set in a fictionalised, modern-day version of Miami, suggesting the franchise is headed back to Vice City.
Developer Rockstar hopes to release the long-awaited game before March 2024.