Grand Theft Auto 6 is Already Fighting an Uphill Battle

Rockstar may have confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development, but the road to its launch is going to be a long and rocky one.
For one of the most popular video game franchises on the planet, Grand Theft Auto 6 confronts a more challenging road than one may anticipate. It may have no release date as of yet, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a hot topic among fans. Despite the incredible amount of attention and hype surrounding the game, its pre-launch cycle hasn't gotten off on the right foot. Sadly, the game might not even be to blame for that. The situation surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 might be the biggest challenge it faces.

It has been almost a decade since the best-selling Grand Theft Auto 5 was released, quickly becoming the biggest game of 2013. The most successful entertainment product of all time, GTA 5, had an impact as significant as those sales figures would imply. It quickly became the face of the series, being bigger, raunchier, and more dynamic than any GTA title beforehand. The game was such a success that its companion game, Grand Theft Auto Online, is still receiving active updates as late as 2023. Only a few games, excluding classics like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, can rival GTA 5's popularity.
Grand Theft Auto 6's issues started with its initial announcement. With fans speculating about Grand Theft Auto 6, it can be said that the game's announcement came far too early. By confirming the game's development but showing nothing, it guaranteed that fans would have a long wait before they would see any real progress or trailers. Not to mention, there is a chance that players will become impatient with the long wait if the information is released so far in advance. Rockstar was justified in informing fans of a sequel because of GTA 5's enormous success, but doing so so early in the process was probably premature.

Announcing the game too early likely led to its next set of woes, that is the Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay leaks. Last year, online leaks of Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay footage and screenshots gave away a lot of the game's secrets. While this did confirm some rumors and reveal something for players to expect, it was also a major problem for Rockstar. To add insult to injury, the leaks were likely of an early version of the game that would change significantly before release. The GTA 6 leaks ended up doing more harm to the game than anything due to adding unnecessary scandal.

Grand Theft Auto 6's biggest concern may, ironically, be its wildly successful predecessor despite its production concerns. Grand Theft Auto 5 set a high bar, being one of the biggest video games of all time. Whatever the quality of GTA 6, it will undoubtedly have a significant negative impact on the former game. Grand Theft Auto 6's protagonists will inevitably be compared to GTA 5's trio, especially since they are the first two games in the series to feature multiple protagonists. Even if Grand Theft Auto 6 is as successful as past games, it will need to vastly exceed expectations to avoid being overshadowed by GTA 5's legacy.

Rockstar's emphasis on Grand Theft Auto 6 raises hopes that the effort put forth by the game's creators will be rewarded once it is released. However, GTA 6 will have several obstacles to overcome before then. The game has a lot to live up to, from its extensive development time to following a game as famous as GTA 5. The Grand Theft Auto name alone would have made it an anticipated game regardless, but the incredible amount of pressure from multiple sides gives Grand Theft Auto 6 a lot to overcome to achieve its success.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.