Six years following the release of its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 6 remains blanketed under a fog of mystery. Realistically, the only cold hard facts concerning what’s sure to be Rockstar’s next release is that it’s in active development. That’s somewhat stating the obvious, now that development of Red Dead Redemption 2 has long since wrapped (online excluded), but it’s reassuring to know, nonetheless. Beyond that, however, is uncharted territory where only rampant rumors and speculation can be found.
From unverified plot details to whispers pointing to a potential female protagonist, such claims remain unsubstantiated long after their discovery, though some – like a supposed appearance at this year’s E3 – have inevitably been proven false. Separating fact from fiction, then, is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack, but thankfully, there’s no questioning the credibility of these latest details.
Speaking to Games Industry in a recent interview, Take-Two – the parent company of Rockstar – CEO Strauss Zelnick shared his thoughts on the topic of an ever-changing industry and what that might mean in regards to how it decides to deliver games in the future.
It’s possible that the ability to deliver content on an ongoing basis for a long time after an initial release of a hit would mean that perhaps that initial release wouldn’t be as long in terms of number of hours of gameplay as previously had been demanded in a world where that was all you were getting.
While Zelnick doesn’t specifically label the design approach outlined above, the description mirrors the ‘games as a service’ model that’s grown increasingly popular in recent years. It’s important to note that specific mention of GTA 6 is never made, though it remains possible that Rockstar could be planning to pursue a live service model for the series’ future.
Should that be the case, content available in the base game would need to be somewhat slimmed down. Not until the reputed company decides to reveal a first-look will we know for sure, but Zelnick’s comments certainly have heavy implications.
For more Grand Theft Auto 6 news, including that of a potential early release date, see here.