Responsible, as it is, for some of the most successful products in entertainment history, it goes without saying that any information regarding Rockstar’s future projects generates huge amounts of buzz. Predictably, the developer’s latest creation – Red Dead Redemption 2 – attracted critical acclaim upon launch last year for its authentic portrayal of the Old West, though it’s still a far cry from hitting the same highs as a certain other iconic Rockstar franchise.
GTA V‘s unprecedented success has all but guaranteed that a sequel is on the cards for the future, but when, exactly, are we to expect the series’ return? Well, according to a recently discovered and widely circulated leak, Grand Theft Auto 6 could roll into town as early as 2020. The leak in question hails from a post over on Pastebin from a user claiming to be part of a third-party “small developer.”
Continuing, the individual states they’ve spent the last eight months helping a “well-known company in a AAA game development that is set to release in 2020 as a launch game for PS5.” The game being alluded to isn’t specified, though the post continues on to provide a bullet point list of unconfirmed details concerning Sony’s upcoming console, one of which name-drops GTA 6.
The highly-anticipated sequel, they say, will ship around Holiday 2020 and be a timed exclusive on PlayStation 5. Sony is supposedly paying “huge money” to secure the deal, which will expire around the one month mark. Both Sony and Microsoft have a record for obtaining similar exclusivity deals in the past with games like Rise of the Tomb Raider, of course, though I can’t imagine Rockstar being in a position where it needs the extra cash that entails such a deal. As for gameplay details, the post stipulates that rumors of both Miami and New York being featured in-game have circulated, though they’re not “sure if that’s 100% true.”
For what it’s worth, my take on the leak is that it’s 100% bogus, but you just never know. Once upon a time, Rockstar’s flagship franchise was exclusive to Sony’s platform, so Grand Theft Auto 6 being a PS5 exclusive wouldn’t be totally out of left field. Either way, take everything you’ve just read with a massive dose of salt.