Grand Theft Auto 6faces a more difficult path than one may expect for one of the biggest gaming franchises on the planet. 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 food. Sadly, that may not even be the fault of the game itself. The circumstances surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6may be the biggest obstacles it needs to overcome.
It has been almost a decade since thebest-sellingGrand Theft Auto 5was released, quickly becoming the biggest game of 2013.GTA 5is the highest-profiting entertainment product of all time, and it left an impact as big as those sales figures would suggest. It quickly became the face of the series, being bigger, raunchier, and more dynamic than anyGTAtitle beforehand. The game was such a success that its companion game,Grand Theft Auto Online, is still receiving active updates as late as 2023. Aside from longtime icons likeSuper MarioandThe Legend of Zelda, few games can matchGTA 5’s status.
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Grand Theft Auto 6 Has A Lot Of Pre-Release Woes
Grand Theft Auto 6’s problems started with its initial announcement. Withfans speculating aboutGrand 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, by announcing so far in advance, there is the risk that players may get frustrated with the long wait. WhileGTA 5’s enormous success made it reasonable for Rockstar to alert fans to a sequel, doing so that early in development was likely jumping the gun.
Announcing the game too early likely led to its next set of woes, that being theGrand Theft Auto 6gameplay leaks. Last year, images and videos ofGrand Theft Auto 6gameplay were leaked online, revealing several aspects of the game well in advance. 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. TheGTA 6leaks ended up doing more harm to the game than anything due to adding unnecessary scandal.
Despite its production worries,Grand Theft Auto 6’s biggest concern may ironically be its wildly successful predecessor.Grand Theft Auto 5set a high bar, being one of the biggest video games of all time. It is sure to cast a massive shadow overGTA 6no matter how good the latter game is.Grand Theft Auto 6’s protagonists will inevitably be compared toGTA 5’s trio, especially since they are the first two games in the series to feature multiple protagonists. Even ifGrand Theft Auto 6is as successful as past games, it will need to vastly exceed expectations to avoid being overshadowed byGTA 5’s legacy.
Rockstar’s focus onGrand Theft Auto 6gives hope that the developers' hard work will pay off once the game is released. However,GTA 6will have several obstacles to overcomebefore then. The game has a lot to live up to, from its long development time to following a game as famous asGTA 5. TheGrand Theft Autoname alone would have made it an anticipated game regardless, but the incredible amount of pressure from multiple sides givesGrand Theft Auto 6a lot to overcome to achieve its success.
Grand Theft Auto 6is in development.
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