Grand Theft Auto 6has been a long time coming. It’s been over a decade since the last game in the series, and once this next chapter drops, it will likely raise questions about the future of the franchise. Fresh news aboutGTA 6could come any day now, but what lies beyond its release is completely unknown. With such a long stretch of time between releases, it would be easy to assume thatGTA 6may be the final chapter from Rockstar, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
Whilethe long development ofGTA 6is likely due to the reportedly massive size of the game, it could also give Rockstar good reason to retire the franchise once this next entry arrives. However, when looking to the future ofGTA, Rockstar could gain inspiration from an unlikely source: theResident Evilfranchise.
Resident Evil Proves That GTA 6 Can Continue Even Further Into the Future
Resident Evil 6marked a crossroads for the long-running series. The game launching to mixed reception definitely put the future of the franchise in a tricky spot, but even more importantly, it marked the beginning of a similarly long wait for the next entry. The gap betweenRE6andRE7may have only been five years compared toGTA 5andGTA 6’s 12-year-long wait, but the extensive wait could have caused excitement for moreResident Evilto fizzle out. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and the arrival ofRE7actually kickstarted newfound interest.
Althoughit may be difficult forGTA 6to meet the high expectationssurrounding it, this installment could actually prove to be a brand-new beginning for the franchise instead of a grand finale. Only time will tell if that’s the case, but with Rockstar having such a powerhouse of a series on its hands, it has the potential to have as much longevity as the likes ofResident EvilorFinal Fantasy.
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, has an earnings call scheduled for February 6, which has led some fans to theorize that a newGTA 6trailer may be revealed on this day. However, this is just a theory and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Rockstar’s Next Move Remains a Mystery
Whatever Rockstar’s next project happens to be, it has the tough task of followingGTA 6. It could either be anotherRed Dead Redemptiontitle, or it could be a fresh IP. Either way,the projected success ofGTA 6could turn Rockstar into a developer that puts even more focus on the franchise than it already does. There are pros and cons to this possibility, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the studio continued to bring as muchGTAto audiences as possible.
Financial analysts from DFC Intelligence are estimatingGTA 6could make an estimated $3.2 billion in its first year.
GTA 6is set to be the biggest release of 2025. IDG Consulting CEO Yoshio Osaki recently made statements thatGTA 6could be “one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, not just in games but for all of media.” If these predictions prove to be true, then it’s highly possible that Rockstar may look into methods of streamlining the franchise, so fans don’t have to wait over a decade anymore.
As the wait for an official release date continues, there arereports thatGTA 6has made other developers and publishers nervous, potentially causing delays to avoid releasing in its shadow. Even after such a long wait,GTAstill manages to hold an immense amount of power in the industry, and that power is only bound to increase.GTA 6could potentially be the franchise’s swan song, but it may also be the start of an even bigger future.
