GTA VI Teases Vice City Return - But Not Until 2025
We hear that pastels are back in this season, as the latest Grand Theft Auto rumours chuck some fuel on the neon fire that we'll be going back to Vice City for GTA VI. More than just being some Resident Evil Village-inspired naming, the idea of GTA Vice City is a promising one.
While all the main entries in the GTA series have becoming chart-topping (if controversial) titles, few have had as much of an impact as Vice City.
Taking the open-world franchise to the year 1986, the fictionalised Vice City is loosely based on Miami. Even though GTA VI is yet to be officially announced, the rumour that it'll return to Vice City is one that continues to crop up.
Is GTA VI going back to Vice City?
Barely a week goes by that we don't publish an article on GTA VI rumours, and while most turn out to be leaked maps that are fake or whispers of cryptocurrency, we currently only have a few Rockstar job listings to go on in terms of GTA VI facts. The latest scoop comes from industry insider Tom Henderson.
In his latest video, Henderson did a roundup of what he's heard and what it could lead to. Henderson is known for getting his info right on the likes of Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty, however, admits he's not known for GTA leaks. Notably, Henderson debunked the idea of the Project Americas rumours with an '80 setting, and claims we'll be getting a modernised version of Vice City that's set in the present day. If Project Americas isn't real, does that also mean we won't be getting a female protagonist for GTA VI?
Interestingly, Henderson mentions an impressive character roster, which gives the nod to a female character who is a "tech-savvy woman". It would be a move away from the classic GTA formula to introduce a playable woman, however, it's one that has been mentioned numerous times before.
What else do we know about GTA VI?
The promise of a modern GTA reportedly comes from the limitations an '80s game would put on GTA Online. Henderson also says the map will grow and evolve over time, with a weird reference comparing it to Fortnite.
The big question is, when could we see this ambitious-sounding GTA VI? Henderson concludes that we could be in for a bit of a wait. Even though 2023 was a possible release, Henderson predicts it could be as late as 2025. Part of this is Rockstar's new focus on employee wellbeing in the wake of those Red Dead Redemption II allegations, as well as a push toward next-gen.
Rockstar waiting until the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are well into their life cycles makes a lot of sense. With more units sold, launching GTA VI in 2025 would give both sides a boost. There's nothing too revelatory about the latest news that we haven't heard before, but as GTA VI moves toward some sort of release, expect Rockstar to start revving its engines soon.
