It’s been a decade since Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto 5, and even though it’s continuing to sell like a monster even now, the hunger for a new instalment in the beloved open world franchise is growing by the day. Of course, Grand Theft Auto 6 was confirmed to be in development last year, but how long will the wait for it last?
The answer to that question remains elusive, and as far as Rockstar itself is concerned, it seems the only thing the studio is concerned with right now is perfecting the game it has on its hands. That’s as per Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Aarthi and Sriram Show, when asked about the process of developing a new game in a franchise as beloved as Grand Theft Auto and how Rockstar looks to find a balance between trying new things and sticking to the series’ established formula, Zelnick said that the developer’s driving philosophy for the ongoing project is, simply put, to “seek perfection”, which is something he has expressed in the past as well.
“I think that’s a challenge that the folks that Rockstar face every time there’s a new iteration of Grand Theft Auto,” Zelnick said (via TweakTown). “It needs to be something you’ve never seen before on the one hand, and it needs to reflect the feeling that we have about Grand Theft Auto. That’s a big challenge for the team.
“Now, Rockstar’s answer is just seek perfection; seek nothing short of perfection, and we’ll get there.”
Grand Theft Auto as a franchise hasn’t exactly been afraid to experiment, even when it’s largely stuck to the series’ long-serving formula. Grand Theft Auto 4, for instance, brought about a stark change in tone for the series that emphasized realism and groundedness, especially compared to past instalments, while Grand Theft Auto 5 introduced multiple protagonists that players could switch between at will.
Leaks have claimed that Grand Theft Auto 6, which is supposedly set in Vice City, will feature two playable protagonists, one of whom will be a female character, the series’ first in a mainline game.
Recent reports have suggested that the highly-anticipated open world sequel could launch in FY 24/25 (April 2024-March 2025), with Take-Two expecting net bookings of over $8 billion during that period. Read more on that through here.
