GTA 6 release date estimate: Gameplay leak, reported story details & news

Said leak - which was one of the worst ever - will melt away to the distant past when we finally get an official look at what Rockstar has been cooking all these years.

Also being banished to the past will (hopefully) be very eager fans rushing to the Gamescom Opening Night Live stage to demand GTA 6 on behalf of former US president, Bill Clinton.

Though, when the GTA 7 rumour mill starts ramping up, who knows what crazy antics await us?

Speaking of getting wild, why not check out the best GTA 5 cheats and GTA 5 mods to wreak havoc on Los Santos or live out your days in GTA RP to help pass the time?

You could always dive back in to see what's new in GTA Online, too.

Just be sure to read on to see what to expect with GTA 6 in the here and now and beyond!

When is the GTA 6 release date? Our estimate

The GTA 6 release date looks like it will land sometime in late 2024 to early 2025, though it is yet to be officially confirmed.

With the GTA 6 announcement trailer confirmed, this makes sense. However, GTA V was revealed in 2011, two years ahead of its launch in 2013 - so the jury is still out.

It being Rockstar's 25th anniversary, though, they might want to do something big - like revealing the GTA 6 release date. Check out their tweets just below.

Microsoft stated that GTA 6 should launch in 2024, with a response to the UK Competition and Markets Authority investigation into its acquisition of Activision Blizzard reading: "The highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be released in 2024."

However, this window could be missed as @RStarUniverse revealed on X that there has been an internal delay.

This was further corroborated by @GTAonlineNews.

Redditor u/wonderingandthinking also took a look at GTA parent company Take-Two's November Webcast, where they went over the future earnings and cited "shy of 8 billion in fiscal 25", which lends credence to the supposed internal delay

"Fiscal 25" is the period between 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.

Whether this is continued earnings from GTA 6 and the next GTA Online or it will indeed be released in fiscal year 2024-25 remains to be seen.

Insider Gaming went over the Take-Two earnings call in August 2023, in which CEO and chairman Strauss Zelnick explained that next year "will include new record levels of operating performance".

Those new levels have to come from something - that thing is most likely GTA 6, and hopefully the upcoming trailer reveals when that may be.

No matter, though, as the finish line is almost in sight - as another rumour, spotted by GamesRadar, suggested that GTA 6 development could well be into its final polishing phase.

Without official word from the developer, however, we can't say this with any certainty. Always take rumours with a pinch of salt or two (or a whole bowl full).

GTA 6 leaks

Thanks to a series of gargantuan leaks, people around the world have now seen a good deal of early development footage of GTA 6. Before being taken down, the footage seemed to confirm the new female protagonist and showcase some open-world gameplay.

In a statement, Rockstar confirmed the validity of the leaks and added that it is "extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way". Despite the leak, though, Rockstar claims that its "work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned".

Fortunately, the leak and access of confidential Rockstar information have not delayed GTA 6. The game should still launch as planned and Rockstar will "properly introduce" us to the game "when it is ready".

Rockstar's woes are yet to conclude however as spotted by Reddit user u/Tobbelobben30 in the GTA 6 subreddit, publisher Take-Two have patented an animation system that allows for "highly dynamic and realistic animations".

Tobbelobben30 went on to explain in layman's terms what this means.

"Based on this patent, it seems like they're using a clever system. They've built a library of small building blocks for character movements. These blocks can be combined in various ways to create a wide range of animations."

All these "building blocks" could be combined together to infer how the player and other characters should move and react.

"...think about a character in the game walking in the rain, feeling tired or getting injured. Instead of designing separate animations for each of these situations, they use these building blocks to put together the character's movements naturally."

Very exciting stuff, then! Red Dead Redemption 2 already has an extremely reactive animation system, and given the amount of obsessive detail that is in that game, a Rockstar release six or so years on from then should be a visual powerhouse.

Can you pre-order GTA 6?

No. You cannot currently pre-order GTA 6.

Given that we still don't know its release date, and likely won't for a little while, it should come as no surprise that you cannot pre-order Grand Theft Auto VI. When that changes, we'll be sure to let you know.

Perhaps we'll see something in the upcoming trailer.

GTA 6 map could be set in Miami

Where will the GTA 6 map be set? According to the aforementioned Bloomberg report, GTA 6 is currently set in and around a fictional version of Miami (much like previous game Vice City).

Prior to this focus on Miami, the report claims: "Early designs called for the inclusion of territories modelled after large swaths of North and South America [...] But the company reeled in those ambitions."

However, it sounds like the game could expand beyond Miami post-launch. Bloomberg claims: "Rockstar’s plan is now to continually update the game over time, adding new missions and cities on a regular basis."

Voice actor Bryan Zampella is rumoured to be playing a potential protagonist.

Punters have long suggested that the map will still be larger than both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 and gaming commentator Tez2 has noted that a recent GTA+ survey has asked select players if they'd use a fast-travel feature - which is therefore likely being considered for GTA 6.

GTA 6 story includes first female protagonist

As for the story and characters in GTA 6, Bloomberg's report covers that, too. The article claims that GTA 6 "will include a playable female protagonist for the first time, according to people familiar with the game". This has now been verified by the leaked early development footage of the game.

The report goes on to note: "The woman, who is Latina, will be one of a pair of leading characters in a story influenced by the bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde."

Touching on how the GTA tone could be modernised by this new instalment, the report adds: "Developers are also being cautious not to 'punch down' by making jokes about marginalised groups."

What platforms will GTA 6 be on?

We can predict with confidence that you will be able to play GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but it remains to be seen if GTA 6 will also reach PS4 and Xbox One. Those previous-gen consoles could be pretty outdated by the time GTA 6 is ready, after all.

We imagine a GTA 6 PC release will be on the way, too, but what is a mystery is whether GTA 6 will make the leap to the Nintendo Switch - GTA 5 hasn't yet, even though the Definitive Edition trilogy bundle did, so it is by no means a guarantee. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

Read more on Grand Theft Auto:

• GTA San Andreas cheats
• GTA Vice City cheats
• GTA 3 cheats
• GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition details
• GTA 5 voice actors - the full cast

GTA 6 announced - what has Rockstar said?

"We are pleased to confirm that active development of the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well under way," the GTA developers from Rockstar recently revealed in a statement.

"With the unprecedented longevity of GTA V, we know many of you have been asking us about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series," Rockstar added.

"With every new project we embark on, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we have previously delivered."

Other than revealing that there is an upcoming reveal trailer, this is all that has been officially said regarding GTA 6.

Is there a trailer for GTA 6?

Sadly, there is no official trailer for GTA 6 just yet. For the time being, we'll just have to imagine how it looks in our heads.

That said, Rockstar has officially announced that a trailer will be coming in "early December". Exciting stuff!

Once it lands, head back here to get your first look at one of the biggest games of all time.

Listen to our One More Life podcast, subscribe to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter for all the latest gaming intel.

Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.