Skip to main content

Grand Theft Auto 6’s development officially ‘well underway’

In a blog post focusing on the future of Grand Theft Auto Online, Rockstar confirmed for the first time that the massive franchise’s next entry is in development.

Many of you have been asking about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series.

With every new project, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we've previously delivered. We're pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the series is underway.

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) February 4, 2022

In a short section looking toward the future of the franchise, Rockstar acknowledged that fans have been curious about the next entry of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

“With the unprecedented longevity of GTAV, we know many of you have been asking us about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series,” the studio says. “With every new project we embark on, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we have previously delivered — and we are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway.”

Today’s post marks the first time Rockstar has mentioned a sequel to 2013’s GTAV, although that’s not much of a surprise. The most recent entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise has been a massive success for Rockstar as a whole, especially its multiplayer component, Grand Theft Auto Online. In the years since its release, Rockstar has continuously supported GTA Online with a series of expansions featuring new content for the game’s dedicated player base. The company isn’t set on leaving GTA Online behind either, with a stand-alone version of the game set to release on March 15.

However, today’s announcement does throw the future of GTA Online into question. Since its release, the game has been built on the back of GTAV. It’s set in Los Santos, features the game’s characters, and uses the game’s engine. It’s not clear how the eventual release of the next Grand Theft Auto title will affect GTA Online.

Editors' Recommendations

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
We need to see these 3 things in Grand Theft Auto 6’s first trailer
gta 6 first trailer speculation v

It’s almost time. After over a decade of waiting, we’ll finally get our first look at the next Grand Theft Auto game sometime this December. When it arrives, the Grand Theft Auto 6 reveal will be one of the biggest video game industry announcements of the year, regardless of what Rockstar Games shows. Despite that, there are specific things that the GTA 6 reveal trailer needs to tell us to live up to its hype.

Although Rockstar has said little about the project before now, GTA 6 might be one of the most anticipated games ever, and it’s following up one of the most successful individual video games of all time. Speculation on where this game will be set, what it will be about, and what innovations it will bring to the medium have been rampant for years. I know this because I’ve played a part in this hype cycle myself -- and this very article is adding to it right now.

Read more
Grand Theft Auto 6 is getting its first trailer sooner than you think
Trevor firing an assault rifle in GTA 5.

After a decades-long wait, Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally making its formal debut. Rockstar announced that the first trailer for the anticipated open-world game will drop in early December.

It's no stretch to call Grand Theft Auto 6 the most anticipated video game of all time. It's been 10 years since the mega-successful Grand Theft Auto 5 launched and fans have been itching for news on a sequel since. That impatience boiled over last year when Rockstar suffered a major security breach that saw early footage from the game leaking. Now the studio is finally ready to reveal the game on its own terms.

Read more
Grand Theft Auto V makes its surprise return to Xbox Game Pass today
A man drives away in a boat with stolen money in Grand Theft Auto 5 art.

Xbox Game Pass is kicking off July with a major surprise, as Grand Theft Auto V has returned to the service. Rockstar's sales juggernaut leads an otherwise light month for Game Pass, which brings Capcom's Exoprimal as a day-one launch.

This isn't the first time that Grand Theft Auto V has been on Game Pass. It was previously on the service circa 2021 but removed from it that August. Rockstar has a history of putting its games on Game Pass for a brief window before pulling it, as it also did with Red Dead Redemption 2.

Read more