We’ve now waited over 2 years since the GTA 6 trailer broke the internet at the back end of 2023. It’s pretty wild that there hasn’t been too much movement since then. There are plenty of great games released over the last decade that took less than 2 years to complete.
Now, we know when it comes to Grand Theft Auto, that we are not talking about any old run-of-the-mill game. It is arguably the best-known gaming franchise in the industry’s history. A multi-generational and multi-billion dollar transnational success story, one that has few comparisons, even in the globally successful world of video games.
What happens when a game has so much expectation that it wanes under the pressure? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that GTA 6 is the most highly anticipated game of all time; it’s not something that will fly under the radar in the way other instalments of the franchise did, such as GTA 3. One thing is for sure: the game will either disappoint those who expect too much or be a success story for those who have been waiting over a decade for the release of a new GTA game.
Where Can GTA 6 Innovate?
Rockstar and Take-Two must be weighing up the potential that their next chapter could ultimately result in them becoming victims of their own success. Every GTA from GTA 3 onwards has mesmerized the gaming world. GTA 3 was the Big Bang moment, Vice City had the soundtrack, the flowery shirts, the inclusion of motorbikes and helicopters. San Andreas had the casinos all over the third island, letting people play a whole raft of casino classics.
While many of these innovations have not been present in every game, you’d have to think GTA 6 and the team behind it will have something major up their sleeve. They will need to navigate several different hurdles, including ratings and potential issues, depending on the country in which they launch.
For instance, there was some talk on social media about the game facing a potential ban in Australia, though this has since been debunked. As the release date draws closer, these conversations will ramp up.
Certain aspects, or potential new additions to this game, such as slot or pokie gaming, will not be what the Australian Game Classification Board will focus on most. Aussie pokies online make up a considerable chunk of the current casino gaming market. While GTA, up to now, has only offered virtual games, San Andreas offered a range of slots, as did the Diamond Casino in GTA 5 – so the idea that GTA 6 won’t offer any sort of slots or casino games, at least in some capacity, is unlikely. Perhaps that is where we will see some groundbreaking designs that tap into the potential of VR and AI gaming.
Embracing Digital Innovations Once Again
GTA V was one of the most groundbreaking games in online gaming, so much so that many believe it directly impacted the long gap between the release of GTA 5 and GTA 6. It was arguably the most influential title in spearheading the rise of the multi-billion-dollar microtransactions market.
In the 13 years between the games, social media marketing has become the dominant way people seek out services and products tailored to their interests. As you can see in the link , fusing entertainment with prominent film characters and turning it into a meme is just one of many angles companies take to generate engagement on social media.
From the perspective of GTA 6, there’s going to be a whole wave of gaming influencers and streamers that stand to make a fortune if they can corner this part of the market. Influencing is a huge market, with those at the top of it earning seven-figure annual salaries.
As long as the game breaks significant ground, expect to see influencers and gamers ride this wave. You only need to take a flick through compiled lists of the GTA city rankings to get an idea of how much people love this game, and if it can capture the imagination of gamers in the same way, the upside could be enormous.
The Weight Of Expectation
Rockstar is keeping their cards close to their chest. Still, there was a wave of untimely leaks, including the trailer, gameplay clips, and the firing of over two dozen staff members tied to these leaks. However, some believe it was down to talk of forming a union and influential pioneer Dan Houser leaving the company in 2020, which are pretty shaky foundations for a game to become a success.
Given that we are now in 2026, the game was initially meant to be out by now and has a multi-billion-dollar budget, this is creating significant pressure on Take-Two to deliver.
Rockstar and Take-Two have faced this pressure many times, but they have not had to deal with all of these internal issues at the same time. Hopefully, they can piece it together to ensure GTA 6 delivers, but with the delays and issues rumbling away, don’t be surprised to see further bumps in the road.
