'GTA 6' Release Date Rumors: Not Happening Anytime Soon

By Kevin Reyes, Christian Post Contributor Friday, March 02, 2018

Fans waiting for a new "Grand Theft Auto" (GTA) game should probably stop holding their breath as it seems it might take a few years before that happens.

By the time September rolls around, it will have been five years since "Grand Theft Auto V" (GTA V) first hit store shelves. After lasting for almost half a decade and despite the excitement many fans have for the release of "Red Dead Redemption 2" later this year, many are curious just when Rockstar will release a new full entry for the GTA franchise. While there has been no definitive response from the company, some rumors seem to indicate that fans may still have to wait a few more years.

In an interview with industry analyst Michael Pachter, he believes that Rockstar will not be releasing a new GTA game until at least 2022.

"I say it comes out after 2022," Pachter said. "Remember, Red Dead Redemption 2 comes out eight years after the first one- so the idea that GTA 6 comes out before 2021 seems ridiculous."

In addition to Pachter's conclusion, it just seems unlikely for Rockstar to spend resources to develop a new GTA title when GTA V and its online counterpart "Grand Theft Auto: Online" (GTA: O) are still topping sales charts despite being several years old by now.

It was reported that GTA V managed to move 15 million units in 2017 alone, four years after its initial release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. With those numbers, it managed to outsell several other AAA titles that launched during the year such as EA's "Star Wars: Battlefront II." The company also generated the most profits over the year through microtransactions made in GTA: O.

There is also the fact that "Red Dead Redemption 2" is scheduled to release this year, which will most likely take up most of Rockstar's resources and even more so if they continue to support its online mode post-release similar to what the company is still doing for GTA: O.

Take-Two Interactive's CEO Strauss Zelnick has gone on to say that the release of "Red Dead Redemption 2" will not hamper or affect the regular support and updates that GTA: O receives. It is clear that they still plan to keep GTA V and GTA: O around even over the next few years.