'GTA 6' release date rumors: Upcoming game in pre-production stage, to be released in 2020?
Since last year, Rockstar Games has kept mum about the next installment of their popular game franchise, "Grand Theft Auto." However, this did not discourage fans from speculating about the upcoming "GTA 6," and latest speculations say that the game is now in the pre-production stage and might come out in 2018.
Fans are hoping that the next "GTA" installment is already in the works as Rockstar Games already confirmed that "Red Dead Redemption 2" is launching within the year.
Former Rockstar Games President Leslie Benzies teased fans that they already got "some ideas" for "GTA 6."
"It comes from the idea first. Where it is going to be set is the first question. Then that defines the missions; you're doing different things in LA than in New York or Miami. The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in," Benzies explained in a previous interview with Develop.
Now, with "Red Dead Redemption 2" about to be launched, fans expect that "GTA 6" is the company's next big project and may even be at the early stages of pre-production already.
The rumored release year which is 2018 is, however, a far outcry, given that the game seems to be at the brainstorming stage. Some reports, however, put the expected release date 2020, which is more realistic.
Additional speculations about "GTA 6" includes the possibility of a first female protagonist in the game franchise. This female lead is also rumored to be voiced by actress, Eva Mendes. The game will also have a new location, and speculations include a whole rendition of the U.S. map, while some suspect that the location might span across two or more cities.
Benzies, however, recently left Rockstar Games at the start of this year and filed a lawsuit against his partners for not paying the right amount of royalties for "GTA 5." As to whether or not Benzies' leaving might change the gameplay of the upcoming "GTA 6" remains to be seen.