A new leak suggests that GTA 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone could have map parallels and post-launch plans. We’ll give you all the info.
July 6, 2021Update: Industry expert Jason Schreier has spoken out about Tom Henderson’s alleged leak regarding GTA 6’s setting, release, gameplay elements and more. According to Schreier, the potential info on the Rockstar game overlaps with “what he has heard himself”.
Since Jason Schreier is one of the most reliable and renowned sources in gaming journalism, this speaks for the authenticity of the leak, which you can find in the original report: That GTA 6 is set in the present day, Vice City will be an evolving setting, there are multiple playable characters and fans shouldn’t expect a release before 2024 / 2025.
But beware: this is still not an official confirmation from Rockstar Games. Also, since video game development is a lengthy and complex process, ideas or originally decided plans can of course be discarded or changed. So continue to take the info from our original report with a healthy grain of salt.
Idk why everyone thinks that I said GTA VI was coming in 2023. Everything Tom Henderson has said about the game matches up with what I've heard
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 4, 2021
Caution, Leak!
The authenticity of this info cannot be confirmed at this time, even though it comes from a reliable source. Enjoy the following lines with a healthy portion of scepticism, as plans can still change during an active development anyway.
However, we have already checked with Rockstar and asked for a statement on the rumours.
Map development like in CoD Warzone?
According to Henderson, GTA 6’s map will be constantly evolving. DLCs that would be released after the release of the base game would not only expand the game world, but also change the existing one. With each expansion, the open world of GTA 6 should undergo a remarkable development.
And this is exactly where Henderson sees a parallel to Fortnite: In the multiplayer battle royale, the game world is regularly turned upside down, almost with every new season. In Fortnite, for example, new locations are regularly added to the map – or even removed again. Be it through comet impacts, floods, time travel or even the appearance of the Marvel villain Thanos.
But Call of Duty: Warzone would also be a good example of a comparable post-launch strategy: the map Verdansk of the battle royale shooter undergoes regular changes, has already been expanded to include moving trains, overrun by zombies, shot up by nuclear bombs and most recently catapulted into the 1980s.
A point of criticism for many fans: Players of GTA 5 or GTA Online should be quite interested in this information: After all, the community has repeatedly been criticised for “playing the same map for eight years now” – even if Rockstar has expanded the game world of Los Santos with new casinos, arcades, bunkers or even an entire island.
By the way, this would also coincide with previous information about GTA 6, which has not been confirmed until today: According to a report by industry expert Jason Schreier from April 2021, GTA 6 should have a relatively small map, which will be further and further expanded after release.
Do our decisions affect the game world? A registered patent of Take-Two could provide additional details here: According to this document, future games of the publisher Take-Two could have a kind of “city evolution” over which the player has direct influence. In concrete terms, this means that through our playful decisions, for example, we ensure that a poor area flourishes and becomes more and more prosperous in the course of the plot.
The fact that Rockstar is already experimenting with changing and evolving game worlds was already evident in Red Dead Redemption 2.
What potential info Henderson still reveals about GTA 6
This alleged info on GTA 6 is also in Tom Henderson’s video: In his leak video, Tom Henderson collects more insider info that is supposedly true regarding Grand Theft Auto 6. These are partly composed of previous and known leaks, or supplement them with additional details.
Vice City, but not in the 80s
Tom Henderson already contradicted the alleged “Project Americas” leak in the past, according to which GTA 6 is set in the 80s and Vice City. However, there are a number of other indications that speak against the authenticity of Project Americas. We have collected everything you need to know in this article:
Modern setting instead of 80s nostalgia: According to Henderson, GTA 6 will still be set in Vice City or at least explore Vice City as a playable location, but the action will take place in the present or a “modern setting” – not unlike Grand Theft Auto 5.
The multiplayer mode in the style of GTA Online is said to be decisive for this, as according to Henderson, Rockstar has more leeway in terms of unlockable content for players.
Colleague Harald Fränkel also thinks a Vice City in the 80s is unlikely. Read why this is so and what his vision for GTA 6 is in his special:
Female Character
The female hacker of the group: Rumours about several game characters for GTA 6 have already surfaced, at least one of which is supposed to be female. Henderson now provides additional details that the woman in the protagonist group of GTA 6 is supposedly an “intelligent hacker”.
Players of GTA 5 and Online respectively might feel reminded of Paige Harris, who can be hired as a potential Heist support in both single and multiplayer. However, Henderson could not provide details on her name, age or personality.
Cryptocurrencies as a gameplay element
Cryptocurrencies are also said to play a role in GTA 6. With this particular type of in-game currency, players can supposedly make quick and untraceable transactions, and some story missions probably revolve around this idea as well. However, Henderson does not provide any new details here.
Only for PC and New-Gen
Only for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X? That GTA 6 will probably not be released for Playstation 4 and Xbox One is actually foreseeable. Henderson emphasises that the game will be released exclusively for PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. If the release is indeed as far off as many are predicting, that wouldn’t be too surprising.
Release still a long way off
Don’t get too excited: according to Henderson, fans should expect the release of GTA 6 in 2024 to 2025 at the earliest. In the video, however, he explicitly warns that even this date should be viewed rather optimistically. GTA 6 is not in an early development phase, but according to Henderson, the well-being of the employees and the avoidance of crunch currently take priority at Rockstar.
This should come as little surprise: After Rockstar Games was publicly criticised for its employee policy in 2018, the developer studio took action. By April 2020, the corporate culture at Rockstar is supposed to have improved significantly, which of course also has an effect on development processes.
The fact that GTA 6 is still a long way off should come as no surprise to anyone anyway: Various leakers and insiders have already predicted a late release for the next Rockstar game – from Tez2 to Yan2295 and Okami to Jason Schreier.
How trustworthy is the leak?
Tom Henderson is one of the most trusted insiders in the gaming industry. In the past, Henderson has already convinced people with predictions and leaked information that later turned out to be true. Especially in the areas of Battlefield and Call of Duty, Tom Henderson is considered to be very well informed and regularly reveals details on Twitter and YouTube – most recently on Battlefield 2042, for example.
Until recently, Tom Henderson was not known for his insights into Grand Theft Auto and Rockstar Games – which he admits himself in the video. According to his own statement, his source may not be as reliable as with Call of Duty or Battlefield. Fans should therefore also treat this leak with a healthy dose of scepticism.
