Every GTA 6 rumor that has come up as of January 2021

The GTA franchise is a brand that is synonymous with excellence in the AAA games industry, and a sequel in the series was naturally going to have enormous hype leading up to its release.

While we're still far from an actual release date, since Rockstar Games are yet to confirm the game being in development, GTA 6 rumors have been running rampant on the internet for a long time.

GTA 6 will likely break all sorts of sales records in the history of the franchise, given how popular the series has become. It has been nearly 7 years since the release of the last game, and fans have made their demand for a new GTA game abundantly clear.

However, putting out a game as large and monumental as GTA is no easy task, which is why Rockstar is playing this one close to the chest.

Here's a look at the rumors that have made their way onto the internet regarding the game.

Every GTA 6-related rumor as of January 2021

#1 The "leaked" map

Its been rumored that the gta 6 map may have been leaked in 2018 but went unnoticeable, on the GTAforums a user pointed out good points as to how it may be real.#GTA6 #GTAVI https://t.co/q9K7eUJCfF pic.twitter.com/qcPdzDtQns

— GTA 6 NEWS (@GTAVInewz) October 13, 2020

A very low-res picture of an island map made its way to message boards and subreddits, leaving the fanbase intrigued.

The map, although very blurry, still looked right at home in a GTA game, fitting into the series formula for maps quite well.

However, there is very little credibility to the leaks, as maps such as these have been "leaked" for games like Red Dead Redemption II in the past.

Having said that, the internet is designed for speculation, and the map presented a good enough topic for discussion among GTA fans.

#2 Vice City

Fan-Art for Vice City and the sequel have been everywhere on the internet

For nearly a decade or longer, fans have been clamoring for the GTA franchise to return to Vice City. The city obviously has a special place in the hearts of fans, and it is quite easy to see why.

The neon paradise of Vice City is one of the best-ever open worlds designed in gaming, and Rockstar have probably been considering its return for a long time. Almost every city in the franchise has been revisited in a mainline entry, save for Vice City, making it the perfect candidate.

There are lots of stories yet to be told in Vice City, and the return of older characters will definitely add a lot of intertextuality for GTA.

#3 An 80s setting

In tandem with the speculation that the game will be returning to Vice City, there are also strong rumors suggesting that the franchise will be going back to the 80s.

The idea is definitely one that intrigues a lot of fans as it only makes sense to not fix what's broken. If the entertainment industry has proven anything, it is that nostalgia trumps almost everything.

It also makes sense as a creative decision for Rockstar. Having a game that is dated by design opens up all sorts of possibilities for writers.

The GTA franchise has established its identity by satirizing modern society. Rockstar can make another clever statement with GTA 6 by bringing a fresh perspective to a time period that has been explored so frequently in modern entertainment.

#4 Project AMERICAS

Many fans believe GTA 6 is being worked upon under the working title of Project AMERICAS (Image via TechRadar)

The rumors and rumblings of "Project AMERICAS" stemmed from several sources, but they all pointed to the same thing: GTA 6 being worked upon under the working title of Project AMERICAS.

According to these rumors, GTA would also feature a location outside of the United States for the first time, with another open-world area available for exploration. The city is rumored to be a South American city, modeled after Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

While the idea is obviously very interesting, it should also serve a purpose thematically. Rockstar will be very careful to not stretch themselves too thin by simply chasing the "bigger is better" idealogy.

#5 Narcos inspiration

Some fans believe that GTA 6 will be inspired by Netflix's Narcos (Image via The Telegraph)

A since-deleted Reddit post seems to have been a source for a bunch of GTA 6 rumors. The post claimed that Rockstar are looking to have the protagonist tangled up in the drug trade. It added that the next game's primary inspirations will include Netflix's Narcos.

While Rockstar have been known to look to cinema and TV for inspiration (Heat, Scarface, etc), this one seems to be wishful thinking at best.

Having said that, taking a leaf from one of the best modern dramas on television could definitely be a step in the right direction.