‘GTA 6’ release date, gameplay rumors: Upgrading ‘GTA V’ could mean the next game is still a few years away

It was almost like a very mean prank when Rockstar Games’ logo was the first thing fans saw at the PlayStation 5 earlier this month. After a few seconds of immense excitement, fans realized they were actually seeing a teaser for “GTA V.” Expanding the current title’s lifespan to another generation of gaming hardware says plenty about the potential release date of “GTA 6.”

‘GTA 6’ release date: How long do fans have to wait for the next game?

Since the PS5 is a next-generation console, it means bringing an existing game to the platform requires more effort than just porting it. Naturally, this kind of project takes time so it was not surprising that Rockstar is gearing up for the launch of “GTA V” for PS5 -- not “GTA 6.”

To give fans more idea of the amount of work this project requires from Rockstar, the developers said in a blog post, “Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 5 will feature a range of technical improvements, visual upgrades and performance enhancements to take full advantage of the console’s powerful new hardware, making the game more beautiful and more responsive than ever.” Simply put, Rockstar is pulling a familiar move of practically remastering the current title and expanding its gameplay features for the next-generation consoles.

It is expected to be PS5-exclusive for a few months before arriving on Xbox Series X. This makes “GTA V” a title that has been released on three generations of PS and Xbox consoles. What’s more, the game will not be released until the second half of 2021. And releasing “GTA 6” too close to the expanded “GTA V” could cannibalize the latter’s sales as fans have been demanding the next game’s launch for some time now.

It would not be surprising if the next game would not arrive in stores until late 2022 or even later than 2023. But then it should also be noted that there have been rumors Rockstar has been working on “GTA 6” since the early 2010s.

‘GTA 6’ gameplay rumors: Next game to introduce a new Brazil-inspired city?

One of the longest-running gameplay rumors for “GTA 6” is that it was codenamed Project Americas because one of its map upgrades would allow players to travel across the Americas continents. The return of Vice City is expected by many fans while previous reports claim the next game would introduce at least one new city designed after Rio de Janeiro.