In a community update posted on 4 February 2022, Rockstar Games says active development of the next GTA is "well underway". No title, no date, no image.
Sources ign.com · kotaku.com
It is one paragraph tucked at the bottom of a post about GTA Online and the next-gen versions of GTA V: on 4 February 2022, Rockstar Games confirmed that active development of the next Grand Theft Auto is "well underway". According to IGN, it is the first time the studio has said so publicly after years of rumours. Kotaku points out that the message sits at the very end of the "Grand Theft Auto Community Update" on the Newswire.
Rockstar starts from a simple observation: GTA V has had unprecedented longevity, and many players keep asking for a follow-up. The studio promises that every new project must "significantly move beyond" what it has delivered before, and sends readers to the Newswire for official news. The text never says "GTA 6", "Vice City" or a release year. Kotaku advises against reading too much into the missing title: Rockstar will pick its moment, most likely later and with a video.
The confirmation follows a run of leaks and reports. IGN had reported back in 2020 that the game was in the works but far from release, and other accounts pointed to 2024 or 2025. A return to a Miami-inspired Vice City had also been floated, along with the idea of a smaller game at launch that updates would build on. Rockstar validates none of it. IGN also notes this will be the first modern GTA since co-founder Dan Houser left; his brother Sam remains on the project.
That "well underway" took a long time to turn into pictures. The game is officially called Grand Theft Auto VI and launches on 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with preload on 12 November, a PEGI 18 rating and a standard price of €79.99 (€99.99 for Ultimate). No PC version has been announced. Everything is gathered on our release page.
For players the change is mostly symbolic: the game is no longer a rumour, and Rockstar commits to speaking through its Newswire. But on 4 February 2022, what matters is what is missing: no name, no platform, no release window. Everything said about the map, the characters or the schedule remains, that day, the business of sources rather than Rockstar.
Sources ign.com · kotaku.com
By Solange Rocheval · VI Countdown newsroom, OKALAM Studio