Highlights
It seems Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development for nearly a decade, according to leaked information.
Rockstar's development cycles for Grand Theft Auto games have proven to be lengthy yet fruitful. The development of GTA 5 commenced in 2008, while GTA 4 began its development phase in 2004.
Validation of ongoing development for GTA 6 can be found in the LinkedIn profile of a former Rockstar employee, who states their involvement with the project from 2015 to 2018. This suggests that the game has been in development since at least 2015.
Newly leaked information suggests that Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development for almost ten years. The leak also mentions the development of two Bully games. This information comes shortly after Take-Two's financial report hinted at a potential release window for GTA 6. Despite their increasingly long development cycles, Rockstar has always been proactive in creating new Grand Theft Auto games. Development for GTA 5 began around 2008, shortly after the release of GTA 4. Similarly, pre-production for GTA 4 started in November 2004, coinciding with the release of GTA: San Andreas.
According to a LinkedIn profile of Jon Young, a former Video Editor at Rockstar Research, it appears that GTA 6 has followed a similar timeline. Young disclosed that he worked on Grand Theft Auto 6 for three years until 2018, when he left the company after a 13-year tenure. This suggests that development for the upcoming game began no later than 2015, possibly around the time when Rockstar released the highly anticipated PC version of GTA 5.
Additionally, Young mentioned his involvement in the development of two sequels for Bully in 2008. While it is well-known that Bully 2 was once in progress but subsequently canceled, Young is the first person to suggest that Bully 3 was also a possibility at some point.
Young's role at Rockstar involved producing "internal journalism" and organizing location shoots to support other departments, indicating their involvement in the company's projects from the early stages of pre-production. Although there is no evidence that Bully 3 progressed beyond the development phase, it is reported that Bully 2 was well underway before being canceled around 2010, with insider reports suggesting that Rockstar New England completed approximately six hours of playable content before the project was abandoned.
Regarding the next Grand Theft Auto game, this new information confirms that GTA 6 has been in development for nearly twice as long as its predecessor. The highly anticipated game may soon be released, as a credible leaker recently stated that GTA 6 is expected to be available during the holiday season in 2024.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.
