'GTA 6' Release Date, Update: Speculations Suggest 2021 Launch and Addition of First Female Protagonist

Video game developer Rockstar Games remains mum on any specific details about the highly anticipated release of “GTA 6.” But its silence will not stop the presence of speculations about the title’s release date and new gameplay features.

‘GTA 6’ Release Date Is in 2021?

Of all the speculations surrounding the “GTA 6,” hunches about its release date surely stand out. When someone considers the fact that its predecessor, “GTA V Online,” has been out on the market for five years now, fans would be desperate to know when the next main title installment will be released.

In the case of “GTA 6’s” release date, video game fans actually have more than just a rumor. Known gaming industry analyst Michael Pachter previously shared his forecast to GamingBolt that the earliest possible retail release date for “GTA 6” is in 2021. But an announcement of the title in 2020 is also likely to happen, Pachter added.

The 2021 release date prediction is considered the best possibility fans have in terms of the “GTA 6” launch. But Pachter does not dismiss the likelihood that Rockstar Games would end up launching the game within or beyond 2022, especially if the developer encounters some technical hiccups after the “GTA 6” announcement.

Meanwhile, there had been a confusion about the “GTA 6” release date after some modders hacked their way into “GTA Online’s” legitimate notifications board. The hackers posted an announcement saying “GTA 6” is coming in 2019, but Rockstar Games later confirmed this it was a fake message.

“GTA 6” Will Introduce Franchise’s First Female Protagonist?

Another widely spread rumor about the supposed gameplay of “GTA 6” is that it will include the first-ever female protagonist for the game’s main campaign. If this turns out to be true, reports suggest that this might be Rockstar Games’ way to rectify the long-time criticism with the way they portray women in the “GTA” franchise.

For the record, Rockstar Games has not confirmed the addition of a strong female character in “GTA 6” yet. But the developers previously mentioned that they are open to making this a reality. “GTA” co-writer Dan Houser told The Guardian in 2013, “In the future, could we do a game with a lead female character? Of course. We just haven't found the right game for it yet, but it's one of the things that we always think about. It didn't feel natural for [‘GTA V’] but definitely for the right game in the future – with the right themes, it could be fantastic.”