5 reasons why GTA 6 will be very different from its predecessors

There are several reasons why fans think GTA 6 should be very different from anything else in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. It's the first 3D title in the series to have a female protagonist, for instance, and by the time it launches, it will have spent the longest time in development compared to its predecessors. The game is also rumored to have more focus on realism, with better NPC AI, more gameplay features, RDR2-like weapon-carrying mechanics, and so on.

In light of that, here are the biggest reasons why GTA 6 should be very different from any other Grand Theft Auto title made before.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer’s opinions.

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Why GTA 6 will be very different from the rest of the series

1) Female protagonist

Lucia seems to be the main protagonist in Grand Theft Auto 6 (Image via Rockstar Games)

One of the biggest and most obvious things that prove how GTA 6 will be very different from other games in the series is that it has a female protagonist.

This isn't exactly new in a Grand Theft Auto title, as the first game had multiple protagonists you could choose from. However, the series has changed a lot since then, and we now have stories that are based on or inspired by real-life crime and the lives of criminals.

This is the first time that a 3D Grand Theft Auto title, or a GTA game with a proper story, will have a female protagonist. Grand Theft Auto 6's Lucia was featured extensively during the trailer, and she seems to be the main driving force behind the crimes in the storyline.

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2) Longest time spent in development

By the time Grand Theft Auto 6 comes out in Fall 2025, it will have spent the longest amount of time during development among all titles in the series and between the release of two GTA games. Grand Theft Auto 5 came out in 2013, which means that Rockstar Games went through 12 years without another game in the franchise.

This also puts a lot of anticipation on the upcoming title, as fans expect it to be vastly superior to anything seen before in the series.

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3) Realistic features

According to what was revealed in the Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay leaks, GTA 6 should be very different in terms of gameplay, as it seems to focus a lot more on realistic features.

As a result, players might get the ability to go prone, swap shoulders, and even crouch (which is a returning feature from past titles). There might even be a realistic limited weapon-carrying system inspired by Red Dead Redemption 2.This means you can't magically carry an entire arsenal on your person anymore.

There also seems to be a more advanced lockpicking system, which isn't new to the series, but it's never been seen in a mainline Grand Theft Auto game.

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4) New tone

The game is supposed to be more sensitive (Image via Rockstar Games)

Everything we know about the Grand Theft Auto 6 story comes from what we've seen in the trailers and the gameplay leaks, which isn't much. Now, before the game was even announced, Jason Schreier of Bloomberg said Rockstar Games had allegedly cleaned up its image in an attempt to be more culturally sensitive.

This "new tone at the company and a change in creative direction" implies that GTA 6 will be very different from any other game in the series. It also means that Rockstar Games' sense of humor, which was known for being unforgiving and mostly unbiased, could get toned down a bit in the upcoming game.

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5) GTA+

Another way in which GTA 6 should be very different is its monetization policy. The premium membership service GTA+ grants you several benefits in Grand Theft Auto Online and other Rockstar Games titles, and it has been growing in popularity recently. It's also something the company has been marketing aggressively, with more bonuses like free games, and exclusive features in Grand Theft Auto Online.

So, fans might see some features of the upcoming game, especially that of its online mode, being made exclusively for subscribers of Grand Theft Auto Plus.