GTA 6: 5 potential reasons why Rockstar is keeping game under wraps

Modified Sep 03, 2020 02:50 GMT

Massive amounts of anticipation and hype precede every release from Rockstar Games, and usually followed by both commercial and critical success. The GTA franchise has been able to always deliver consistently, with arguably not a single mediocre entry in the series.

GTA 6, although the title hasn't been confirmed yet, is reportedly in the early stages of development, but Rockstar has maintained an air of secrecy and silence around the project. The next installment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise is already one of the most anticipated games in history and will, no doubt, be a significant force when it does release.

Here, we look at a few potential reasons why Rockstar is choosing to keep GTA 6 under such heavy secrecy. Note that this is pure speculation, and that there hasn't been any information from the developers yet.

Five potential reasons why Rockstar is keeping GTA 6 under wraps

1) Difficulties with next-gen development kits

PS4 Dev-Kit (Image credits: growngaming)

Developing games for a next-gen console can be extremely tough, especially in its first few years. Developers have previously stated the complications involved in getting used to new dev kits and how it can delay the game's release date.

GTA 6 is sure to release on next-gen consoles. Therefore, Rockstar might be using GTA 5's release on next-gen consoles as a test run on the new development kits.

While they won't be building the game from the ground-up (GTA 5), it might serve as an excellent benchmark to analyse the dev kits and figure out all complications.

2) The continued success of GTA Online

There is no doubt that GTA Online is Rockstar's most valuable property currently. The game rakes in millions of dollars per day for them through microtransactions alone, and continues to grow with new updates.

Rockstar is planning to have the game be a standalone purchase on next-gen consoles, meaning their focus is still set on GTA Online, which is understandable, as it makes little sense to halt all momentum for a brand-new project.

However, the developers will have to innovate and offer enough incentives for players to keep playing Online, as opposed to merely giving it a next-gen visual treatment.

3) Big plans for GTA 5's story mode

This is a stretch, and wishful thinking of the highest degree, but the community has been demanding an expansion to GTA 5's story mode for a while. Something akin to GTA 4: Episodes from Liberty City would be received extremely well by fans.

Fans have demanded more from Rockstar in the way of an expansion of the story mode, and the latter can win back several fans if they choose to go down this route.

There are a tonne of story opportunities in Los Santos, and the possibilities are simply endless for Rockstar if they choose to explore this avenue.

4) Far too early in development

Rockstar faced a lot of backlash as a result of an investigation into the company's work culture, especially during crunch. Crunch time has been a major issue for the entire games industry, and Rockstar have been attempting to mitigate the problem in recent times.

The studio's last project, Red Dead Redemption 2, was the product of an incredibly taxing developmental cycle. Rockstar would be looking to avoid running into the same issues again, and perhaps gradually work towards completion rather than brute force-ing it.

GTA 6 is going to be a massive project when in development, and the devs probably feels its too early in development to be putting out information.

5) Managing expectations

To toot one's horn has always been a massive part of all entertainment: whether it be movies or games. However, no one wants to end up looking foolish at the end of the day, and managing expectations is a crucial part of promoting a game.

Rockstar wouldn't want to jump the gun and promise a title without figuring out all the variables and complications with the project. They would be looking to avoid a Crackdown 3-type situation, where the game had been hyped to no end, but the end product was ultimately a huge let-down.

The central feeling is that Rockstar would play their cards close to the chest and perhaps figure out the game before letting loose with the promotion.

Edited by Ravi Iyer