When can we expect to see more of GTA 6?

Dec. 8, 2023

Grand Theft Advent | What do Rockstar’s previous releases suggest we might see in the next two years?

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Nothing is certain except…

The first thing we can be sure of from previous games is that GTA 6 will likely be delayed. That’s not just because most games are these days, but also because Rockstar has a long history of delaying its games. In fact, you’ll have to go all the way back to 2006’sRockstar GamesPresents Table Tennis to find a game that was released on time (unless you count 2009’s Beaterator, which was announced without an initial release date).

With the GTA 6 trailer now confirmed for December 5, we’re celebrating all things Grand Theft Auto this festive season. Welcome to Grand Theft Advent – a month-long celebration of Rockstar’s enduring crime sim series. Be sure to check in on ourGTA 6 coverage hubfor more every day throughout December.

One other main thing you can expect is to not expect much between now and whenever that release date eventually lands. In the two years between GTA 5’s announcement and final release there was areveal trailer, three trailers for each playable character (Michael,Franklin,andTrevor), and anofficial gameplay trailer. GTA 4 was similarly sparse with the basically named Grand Theft Auto 4Trailer 1,Trailer 2,Trailer 3, andTrailer 4between its E3 2006 announcement and 2008 release date. More recently, Red Dead Redemption 2 managed six trailers in the two years it took to come out – three ‘official’ trailers, a two part gameplay trailer, and a final launch trailer.

Based on the timing of much of these, you can expect to see very little in the next year or so (intentionally, at least). If Rockstar sticks to its usual pattern we’ll likely get one more trailer next year, possibly some sort of character profile or look at the Leonida setting, but for anything like gameplay that’s always historically dropped about two or three months before release. That was the case at least for both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, while GTA 4 was so early on in the internet’s life that ‘gameplay trailers’ weren’t a thing yet and it just released those four trailers roughly equidistant between announcement and release.

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The key thing is coverage only really ramps up in the last few months before launch, once that’s firmly locked in. Both GTA 4 and GTA 5, for example, gave media hands-on access not that far out from the final release – GTA 4 hands-on previews took place three months before the game came out, while GTA 5 gave press a preview barely three weeks before the game released (most likely a preview slice embargoed from review access). Although for that, Game Informer did have an exclusive look eight months earlier.

Ultimately, while the hype is high, this first trailer may well be all you get to nourish you for the time being. Of course, a lot has changed since GTA 5 came out 10 years ago, so the pattern Rockstar has followed in the past might not be repeated this time. Then there’s the precedent for leaks, which actually has the potential toreducethe chances of us seeing anything – with two high-profile breaches already it’s possible people’s desire to see more might actually get them less, as the studio holds its cards closer to its chest for protection. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a long wait…

I’m GamesRadar’s Managing Editor for guides, which means I runGamesRadar’s guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.

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