Why Rockstar Made no Mention of GTA 6 at the PS5 Game Reveal Event
Sony recently held their first PS5 game reveal event, revealing a slew of new titles and content which will be coming to the new console. Among the more conspicuous absences from the event was any mention of GTA 6; fans had been hoping that Rockstar were waiting for the next-generation for a GTA 6 announcement. However, instead, the studio announced an “enhanced” version of GTA 5 coming to next-gen consoles. However, a former Rockstar producer has shed some light as to why this may be.
Why Rockstar Has Yet to Make a GTA 6 Announcement
Rockstar was in fact the very first developer to make an announcement in the recent PS5 game reveal event. However, rather than announcing any new games, or making any mention of GTA 6, the studio merely announced a new version of GTA 5 which will be coming to next-gen consoles in early 2021. This new version will feature enhanced graphics and more to take advantage of the new hardware. Additionally, Rockstar is offering PS4 players bonus GTA$ every month until it launches.
Darion Lowenstein, a former Rockstar Games producer, recently explained why this might be, rather than GTA 6 being announced. “Because I used to produce games for Rockstar,” he says; “tons of people are asking me why, at the PlayStation 5 event, did we get an announcement of an updated GTA 5, and not GTA 6. Honestly, from a development standpoint, there are a couple of good reasons. I’ve made a lot of new games for new consoles, it’s really hard. Tech is constantly changing, and it’s really hard to make a AAA game at launch.”
Lowenstein goes on to explain that porting GTA 5 to new consoles is a very safe option to tide players over. “Constantly updating a pre-existing game, making it prettier, is WAY cheaper, way easier than an all-new one. So, if I had to guess, GTA 6 just isn’t ready, and GTA 5 will provide a lot of income, and an experience everyone already knows and loves, within a year of the PS5 launching.”
This certainly makes sense. An ‘enhanced’ next-gen GTA 5 is an easy win for Rockstar. The game is already familiar to a huge audience, and next-gen improvements are likely to attract a lot of positive attention. In the meanwhile, the studio is likely working on GTA 6 long-term. Given that, it’s unlikely that there will be a GTA 6 announcement anytime soon. At least not before the release of this new next-gen GTA 5 in early 2021.