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Depending on where you look, the mere mention of GTA 6 can send you down an online hole faster than a white rabbit late for a very important date. Alice in Wonderland is indeed a fitting analogy when examining the conversation around the next step for the Grand Theft Auto series, because untangling fact from fiction, and separating imagination from reality, has underpinned the narrative for the last several years.
In February 2022, when Rockstar Games officially confirmed that GTA 6 was being actively worked on, speculation from impatient fans hit new heights. The GTA 6 mega leak of September the same year – whereby over 90 in-development screens and videos were leaked to the public – cranked things up several notches, with every image and snippet of video torn apart and dissected from every which angle. Surely, we thought, the stage was set for something concrete in 2023, not least because the series' most recent entry, GTA 5, was set to celebrate its 10th birthday on September 17.
The GTA 6 trailer reveal proves no one does hype quite like Rockstar Games
And then… nothing. GTA 5's anniversary came and went, marked by some neat in-game cosmetics and bonuses. Then GTA Online's decade milestone rolled past on October 1 with little fanfare. Then, on what felt like an innocuous, random Wednesday morning in November, Rockstar confirmed that the first GTA 6 trailer will be aired at some point in "early December" – seemingly tying in with the studio's 25th anniversary. And then… something.
"It's certainly the culmination of anticipation for VI," says prominent GTA community member Tez. "The community was expecting it last year, but that didn't happen. Then again earlier this year with another February announcement, but that didn't happen either. Then we expected it in September as Rockstar celebrated the decade-long anniversary of GTA 5, but nothing."
"Then we expected something last month, which has been labeled 'Rocktober' since that's when Rockstar typically makes announcements. But once again, we got nothing. The community was getting desperate with every disappointment, reaching its 'it's so over' phase by the end of October. And then, Rockstar drops this bombshell of news, and we go from that to the 'we're so back' phase."
We're so back
Ignore the GTA 6 leak, the full Rockstar reveal will be worth the wait
For GTANet admin and community manager Spider-Vice, the GTA 6 trailer announcement "feels like a light at the end of a tunnel". Spider-Vice makes the same nods to the years of fake leaks and speculation that's gone on community-side, with random and even well-thought out and theorized suggestions as to where the series might go next. For Spider-Vice, to see it finally happening marks the end of a chapter for the Rockstar community, while at the same time signals a new and hugely exciting one.
Fellow GTANet colleague and GTA Chain Game chief GTAKid echoes a similar sentiment, underlining the impact GTA 5 and the Grand Theft Auto series more generally has had on his life and the community's lives as a whole. "I’ve been eagerly awaiting information on the next Grand Theft Auto for several years and was extremely excited reading the announcement of the upcoming trailer. The series has undoubtedly had a major impact on my life and holds a special place in my heart, so I can’t wait to see what Rockstar Games has in store for this next chapter."
"Waiting for release day is going to be tough, but I look forward to the discussion and speculation in the months ahead. However long we may have to wait, Rockstar has become known for the excellent quality of their releases, and I trust that they will deliver on our expectations once again when the time finally comes."
For me, GTAKid raises an interesting point in that while I likewise can't wait to see the GTA 6 trailer – assuming it delivers, the wait for the actual game itself will suddenly feel longer than before. To this very end, Spider-Vice adds: "As for the period between the trailer and the game launch, I think it's going to be fun even if sometimes there might be 'info droughts' along the way."
"Fans will be all over social media and forums analyzing screenshots, trailers, the wording in announcements and what not, and those were very fun moments in both RDR 2's and GTA 5's pre-release periods. I love seeing that happen and of course will be participating myself!"
"This is what Rockstar does best. Giving us that feeling of uncertainty."
Tez acknowledges the fact that while we knew the GTA 6 trailer announcement would come eventually, the unbridled anticipation raised false expectations among the community on a weekly basis. Tez says: "We always felt the announcement would happen this year, but it kept slipping further and further. Now, next year, we can expect info drops, and likely previews from news sites as well. So we have exciting times ahead of us."
"The trailer alone will keep us satisfied for the whole of Christmas, January and probably until February, as the community starts analyzing each and every frame, connecting the pieces and visualizing the map. These are the best times of speculation. Afterwards, we will have to cope for a while, but I'm optimistic it won't top the copium we've gone through the last couple of years. The hype train has been derailed several times in the past, but I don't expect it to derail as hard as it did by the end of last month."
With those wheels now firmly and officially in motion, the next few weeks are the calm before the storm. "Early December", as signaled by Sam Houser himself, is but a few weeks away, and while I'm pretty sure community members will speculate about what we might see between now and then, I'm absolutely certain they'll interpret what we do see next month as soon as the trailer drops right up until that ever-elusive GTA 6 release date.
For GTA stunt master Ash Skyqueen, that's part of the beauty of it all. "I'm actually sitting here speechless," Ash says, laughing. "This is what Rockstar does best. Giving us that feeling of uncertainty. They keep things so locked down even with last year's leaks I was still thinking it would be another year or two before a trailer. I'll be coping much better now for sure. Waiting for launch will be easier now they've started the official countdown. I'm more excited than ever."
I couldn't have said it better myself. And if you're looking forward to GTA 6, I'm sure you feel the same. Between times, I plan to steer clear of the rabbit hole and let Rockstar do its talking in what is surely among the most anticipated video game reveal trailers of all time. And with that, I'll see you all in early December.
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