Jamie King, the co-founder of Rockstar Games, stated in an interview with the Grand Theft Auto YouTube channel Killaz that GTA 6 might depart from the series’ format in some ways. Jamie King, the co-founder of video game industry behemoth Rockstar Games, recently stated in an interview that the next Grand Theft Auto 6 could depart from the series’ distinctive grim and sarcastic tone, which has become synonymous with the franchise. Grand Theft Auto V, the most recent instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series, was released in 2013, and it takes players on a journey through the fictional state of San Andreas and its Los Santos-inspired city as well as the surrounding countryside. GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition remaster compilation was released earlier this year, but the controversy surrounding its release has refocused attention on what Grand Theft Auto 6 could bring to the table in its next iteration.
Grand Theft Auto – and other IP Red Dead Redemption – remasters could be on the way from Rockstar in the near future, with rumours pointing to Red Dead Redemption (which was confirmed by a Rockstar investors quarterly review), Grand Theft Auto IV, and Grand Theft Auto V rereleases – all of which could put the development of Grand Theft Auto 6 on hold for the time being. There have also been numerous leaks and reports that the GTA 6 development has been particularly difficult. Some have even characterised the project as “chaotic.”
While speculation about Grand Theft Auto 6’s production appears to be rife, rumours about the game’s actual content are also beginning to surface. During an interview with Killaz, a YouTube channel devoted to covering Grand Theft Auto content, Jamie King, a co-founder of Rockstar Games who left the firm in 2006, shared some of his own GTA-6-related thoughts with the audience. Rockstar was explained by King, “It’s really refined [its] systems,” thus he “wouldn’t be surprised if the tone shifts and it’s no longer quite as edgy or amusing as it used to be.” The only thing I can think of is that there’s more of a potential for [them] to do something corny, which they never do.”
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto model, according to King, is a “wonderful machine” that has earned the company a great deal of success over the years. This model is renowned for its cheeky edginess, and shock factor, with Grand Theft Auto, releases frequently guaranteeing to contain violence, sexual content, and other elements judged inappropriate for some audiences. Adding to this, King stated that Rockstar Games and the Grand Theft Auto series are “simply going to be OK, period,” which appears to imply that GTA 6 will be a success regardless of the direction Rockstar chooses to go in with the game.
Despite King’s assertion that the Grand Theft Auto “machine” is difficult to “f*ck up,” the release of the GTA Trilogy remaster may indicate otherwise. Between Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar has a laudable portfolio of series that have received both critical and commercial acclaim – but this reputation can only last for so long, especially if Rockstar underestimates the malleability of these IPs and the patience of its fans, as it did with Red Dead Redemption.
