With the great success of "Grand Theft Auto 5," which has sold over 80 million copies since it was launched in 2013, fans are clamoring for the release of a sequel. There has been a lot of rumors but Rockstar Games has yet to announce a "Grand Theft Auto 6." However, that does not stop gamers from making a lot of speculation.
First off, the release date. Considering there is usually a five-year gap between games from the same series, "GTA 6" should be theoretically out by 2018. However, Rockstar Games is currently working on "Red Dead Redemption 2," which is slated for release in June next year. That could push the "GTA" sequel a bit, but fans are expecting at least an announcement towards the end of 2018, once the "Red Dead" series has had enough screen time.
In a 2013 interview with Develop, former Rockstar North President Leslie Benzies teased that the company already had a sequel in mind.
"We don't know what 'GTA 6' will be, but we've got some ideas," he said.
He added that the main hurdle for every "GTA" series is the location. Once it is determined, it will be easier to develop the rest of the game.
"You're doing different things in L.A. than in New York or Miami. The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in," Benzies said.
There have been a lot of rumors and suggestions about the location — from London, England to Tokyo, Japan. There are also those who said that knowing the capability of Rockstar, it could even be the entire United States. But there hasn't really been any concrete word on this yet.
When it comes to the story, gamers are hoping for a female protagonist after producer Dan Houser said in a 2013 interview with The Guardian that Rockstar Games plans to use a female lead in future games.
"We just haven't found the right game for it yet," he said.
As of press time, critics and gamers can only speculate about "GTA 6" and whether it will really hit the shelves at all. But if it does, there is no doubt that it will be more explosive and action-packed than the already very successful "GTA 5."
