5 reasons GTA 6 could be announced this year

Even though the official release date for GTA 6 has not been revealed, many signs indicate it could be launched within a year or two. Hence, fans have started to wonder if the highly anticipated sequel will finally be announced this year. Regardless of when the upcoming title comes out, such a gap between two consecutive Grand Theft Auto titles has never occurred.

That said, one must remember that Rockstar Games is known for making highly detailed games that take a long time to develop. Fortunately, many reasons exist to expect an official GTA 6 announcement in 2023.

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Leaked marketing plans and 4 more reasons GTA 6 could be announced this year

1) Grand Theft Auto Online 10th Anniversary celebrations

GTA 5 and Online will mark their 10th anniversary later this year in September after being released originally in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Given how successful the game has been, such a major milestone calls for celebration. While Rockstar hasn't confirmed anything, they did ask fans to stay tuned for upcoming celebrations in their recent Newswire post for the San Andreas Mercenaries DLC.

What's interesting here is that Tez2, a well-known Rockstar insider, believes that the event might be used to officially tease the next game. He also suspects the summer update's game files to contain hints for the sequel's imminent announcement.

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2) Leaked marketing plans

A letter containing GTA 6 marketing plans got leaked online last month. It was allegedly sent by Take-Two Interactive Software's Channel Marketing Director, Paul Swiderski, to The Guild Downtown, a hotel in Miami. According to the letter, Take-Two wants to begin its upcoming game's promotion late this summer by displaying a poster on the hotel's exterior.

The developers choosing a Miami-based hotel makes sense since Grand Theft Auto 6 is heavily rumored to take place in Vice City (Rockstar's fictional version of Miami).

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3) Take-Two's earnings call hints at a 2025 release

Based on the information received from Take-Two's earnings call on May 17, 2023, fans can expect the next GTA game to release around 2025. If that is the case, Rockstar Games will most likely announce Grand Theft Auto 6 this year. The developers like announcing new games at least two years ahead of the release.

This pattern can be dated back to Grand Theft Auto IV's reveal during E3 2006, followed by its eventual release in 2008. Hence, the possibilities of a 2023 announcement are quite high, given the release date is either 2024 or 2025.

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4) Rockstar Games drop trailers two years before release

Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 show that Rockstar Games prefers showcasing the first trailer two years before the game's release. The two games were released in 2013 and 2018, with their trailers dropping in 2011 and 2016, respectively.

Albeit there is no confirmation, we can expect the developers to employ a familiar approach. Hence, if the GTA 6 release date is indeed 2025, fans can expect the game's first trailer or at least an official announcement anytime this year.

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5) Leaks haven't affected the development

Rockstar Games experienced an unprecedented network intrusion in September 2022. As a result, more than 90 videos of GTA 6's developmental footage got leaked online. While fans were initially skeptical, Rockstar confirmed the videos to be real on Twitter. Addressing the matter, Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick explained how the unfortunate event emotionally impacted the game's developers.

That said, GTA 6 leaks did not affect the business whatsoever, and the development process seems to be on track. Hence, if the 2024-2025 release date is legitimate, there will eventually be an official announcement this year.