Nothing can remain a secret for long in the internet era. Which is why Rockstar Games has uploaded the Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) trailer an entire 24 hours ahead of schedule, after the much-hyped preview was leaked less than an hour ago.
Soundtracked to Tom Petty’s ‘Love Is A Long Road,’ the footage dropped today showcases a seedy, Florida-inspired Vice City setting — complete with gators, strip clubs, as well as the locale’s infamous natives themselves.
The trailer also confirms earlier reports of the franchise’s first female protagonist, an incarcerated character by the name of Lucia, at the centre of a Bonnie & Clyde-esque story that takes place upon walking free from prison.
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As for the all-important matter of a release date, while the specifics have yet to be locked in, the GTA 6 trailer indicates the next chapter is scheduled to hit shelves sometime in 2025. So keep your eyes peeled.
By all accounts, Grand Theft Auto 6 is on track to become one of history’s most expensive video games (if not the most expensive).
During a recent inquiry conducted by the UK Competition & Markets Authority in relation to the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger, some eye-opening figures were revealed.
Five years ago, your standard AAA console/PC releases had development budgets ranging from US$50 million to US$150 million (AU$74 million to AU$220 million). These days however, titles greenlit for release in 2024-2025 are routinely approved for development budgets closer to US$200 million or higher.
Call of Duty, for example, routinely requires development budgets exceeding US$300 million (AU$440 million), while GTA 6 and “other future tent-poles” are expected to cruise beyond US$250 million (AU$370 million) with relative ease.
One large studio, whose identity was deliberately omitted from the report, claims a major franchise’s development can cost up to US$660 million (AU$975 million) for the actual product and US$550 million (AU$812 million) for marketing. Meaning all up, you’re looking at a billion-dollar commitment.
Considering the sheer cultural magnitude of every Grand Theft Auto instalment’s arrival; what is rumoured to be a staggeringly expansive map (with 70% of buildings being explorable); and the precedent set by previous GTA games, you can see why popular YouTubers like INTER and publications such as Gamerficial are already projecting Grand Theft Auto 6 will become history’s most expensive video game.
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Keep in mind: spending of this calibre isn’t exactly uncharacteristic for Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive Software. Nor is it a considerable risk.
GTA 5 managed to earn over US$800 million (AU$1.2 billion) on launch day alone and continues to rake it in through next-gen reissues and GTA Online a decade after release. In fact, according to Take-Two accountants, it’s generated almost US$7.7 billion (AU$11.4 billion) as of 2023.
Check out the Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) trailer above.
