Everything we know about GTA VI following release date 'leaks'

We may not have a release date yet, but GTA 6 is set to come out this year - at some point.

Grand Theft Auto VI might just be the most hyped video game of all time, with anticipation from fans starting just years after GTA V's release, back in 2013.

The open world game caught the world's imagination, exceeding the expectations set by its 2008 predecessor, GTA IV.

Whether it was following Michael, Franklin and Trevor on their illegal, sometimes outrageous missions, or messing about with your mates on its online game mode, GTA V provided hours of entertainment for its users.

You can view the GTA VI trailer here:

While game developers Rockstar have continued to add new content, including DLCs, to the game for the past 12 years, it's clear that fans need a new world to explore.

Ever since the surprise GTA VI trailer dropped in December 2023 and sent the gaming world into a spiral, fans have been eager to see the franchise's return to Vice City, a location that was the focus for 2002's GTA: Vice City.

Inspired by Miami, the iconic video game city looks better than ever, in terms of size and attention to detail.

With probably less than a year from its release (please, Rockstar), here's everything you need to know about one of the most highly anticipated games ever.

GTA VI release date

While the trailer was extremely vague in announcing that it's 'coming 2025', Take-Two Interactive, the company that owns Rockstar, confirmed in a financial report in May 2024 that the goal is an autumn 2025 release.

As Rockstar are known for their delays, fans worried that the game could be pushed back to 2026, though Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told IGN: "We do feel highly confident that we'll deliver in fall of 2025."

GTA V was released on 17 September 2013, and fans hope that the next instalment will come at around the same time. However, a retailer in Uruguay, the XUruguay store, might have accidentally posted the release date online.

According to that, we can expect the game on 17 September, 2025, 12 years on from GTA V. Nothing has been confirmed yet from Rockstar.

After the listing from XUruguay, the retailer issued a statement on the release date its website had suggest. And it's not good news for those who got excited.

Former Rockstar Games technical director upset some fans when he claimed in July: "I don’t think it’s going to be wildly different from GTA 5.

"I think maybe people might be a little disappointed on the first day but it’s still going to be the best game out there. It’s going to be a good game for sure."

However, he did admit to having 'no inside information' about the game.

Just give us a date, Rockstar (Rockstar)

What gaming consoles will GTA VI be on?

In an press release, Take-Two stated: "Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., is proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto VI is coming to PlayStation 5 computer entertainment systems and Xbox Series X|S games and entertainment systems in 2025."

Since this statement, the PS5 Pro has been released, so it is unclear if the game will be part of the PS5 Pro's 60fps enhanced games.

Sadly, if you're stuck on old-gen consoles, that being Xbox One and PS4, it looks like you won't be able to enjoy the new GTA release.

That's on you, frankly - those consoles came out the same year as GTA V, in 2013.

But the talking point here is that there has been no news on a PC release, which experts think may mean that a 2026 release is on the cards for PC gamers, as Rockstar have directed their focus towards consoles in recent years.

Characters in GTA VI

In the trailer, we're introduced to the two protagonists, primarily focusing on the female lead in Lucia.

We know next to nothing about her, except that she is in prison overalls at one point, indicating that she is a criminal.

Lucia also appears with an unnamed male character who is set to play opposite her in a main role, in a relationship resembling something similar to Bonnie and Clyde, as they talk about trust and carry out crimes together.

Location: Vice City

Touching on this earlier, GTA: Vice City was set in the same city, albeit in 1986, with the latest release set to take place in modern day.

Well, given by the smartphones and use of social media in the trailer, that is.

While Rockstar have remained tight-lipped on updates, they detailed that we'll be going to the state of Leonida, 'home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond'.

It will be the biggest evolution of Grand Theft Auto so far, as a bigger map has been teased.

We get an insight to rural 'Leonida' as well as the city, and we don't know yet whether old spots from the 2002 game such as Starfish Island will be back.

There wasn't much to go off in the GTA VI trailer (Rockstar)

GTA VI leaks and updates

The official trailer was pushed up to be released earlier following a number of leaks, which Rockstar had to address on social media.

Luckily, they released a statement confirming that it would cause no delays, saying: "We do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects."

Map and gameplay

Again, there isn't much to go off despite fans coming up with new theories about the game's release every week, but some things can be spotted in leaked videos and the trailer itself.

As GTA V expanded upon Los Santos from GTA: San Andreas, released in 2004, it looks like GTA VI will be doing the same with Vice City. It's rumoured to include a wetland and a string of tropical islands, similar to Florida in real life.

Fans are convinced that the map will be much bigger than anything seen before in the franchise, but without a GTA VI gameplay trailer, no one can be sure.

It has been suggested, based on leaks, that new mechanics have been experimented in the upcoming game, though we will have to wait for another trailer to know for sure.

Back to dreaming about a GTA VI release date being announced.