Rockstar Games is undoubtedly a major player in the video game industry. Without Rockstar Games, there would be noGrand Theft Auto,which is one of the most influential action-adventure franchises out there. TheGrand Theft Autoseries has long been Rockstar’s golden goose, as the studio keeps inventing new American cities with criminal underbellies full of memorable and eccentric characters. When it first came out in 2013,Grand Theft Auto 5was not only the latest in a long line of successful games, butGrand Theft Auto 5stood out from its predecessors by receiving rave reviews and becoming one of the best-selling video games in history.
It goes without saying thatGrand Theft Auto 5’s achievements are no small feats. After earning so much praise, it’s unsurprising that Rockstar has chosen to rest on its laurels, reveling inGTA 5’s success, rather than moving on to the next game in the series right away. One wonders, however, just how long Rockstar Games is willing to take its time onthe nextGrand Theft Autogame. The studio keeps remaking and re-releasingGrand Theft Auto 5for multiple consoles, and fans are starting to get tired of it.GTA 5on PS5 and Xbox Series X might be a good short-term investment, but it could pose some issues for Rockstar Games in the long term.
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Grand Theft Auto 5’s Lingering Presence
There’s no denying thatGrand Theft Auto 5is an excellent game. However,Grand Theft Auto 5is also an undoubtedly old game. It first released onthe PS3 and the Xbox 360, both of which are long-retired consoles by now.GTA 5did arrive on the more relevant PS4 and Xbox One a year later, and then on PC another year after that, but it does show some age sometimes as a game originally designed for PS3 and Xbox 360. Those consoles were already aging by the timeGTA 5released.
A major reason thatGTA 5has stuck around for so long isGrand Theft Auto Online.The online multiplayer component ofGTA 5launched in October 2013, a month after the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions released, and from then on it was available at launch for every other version of the game.GTA Onlinehappened to provide Rockstar the perfect way to start treatingGTA 5as a live-service game; Rockstar continues toadd new missions and storylines toGTA Onlineregularly. In other words, after realizing how valuableGTA 5was to its brand, Rockstar found a very convenient way to prolongGTA 5’s life and made the most of it.
GTA Onlineupdates are starting to slow down, but Rockstar has found another way to get a couple more years out of its home game: next-gen consoles. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions ofGTA 5will release in March of next year, proving that theGrand Theft Autofranchise isn’t going anywhere soon, in spite of Rockstar having bought eight years to develop a newGTAgame already. In the wake ofa September PS5 trailer forGTA 5andGTA Online,the cracks are starting to show. Fans aren’t happy with the next-gen re-releases, and more broadly, they’re not happy aboutGTA 5’s apparent immortality.
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How GTA 5 Could Hurt Rockstar
Recent discussions about Rockstar’s attachment toGrand Theft Auto 5strongly contrast with the way that Rockstar fans usually feel about the studio. Traditionally, longtime fans have nothing but good things to say about Rockstar, praising the consistency and high quality of its core franchises, fromGrand Theft AutotoMax Payne.Fans' anger about the next-gen versions ofGTA 5shows a completely different side of the community.
Not only are fans upset that Rockstar wants them toplayGTA 5on a third consoleafter eight years, but they’re highly critical of improvements that Rockstar says the next-gen versions have made. Fans say they see little to no difference between the new version and the PS4, Xbox One, and PC generation ofGTA 5.The last thing Rockstar needs is for these loyal fans to develop doubts after all these years.
Unfortunately, it seems like doubts are already in place, and they’ll be here to stay untilGrand Theft Auto 6actually releases. Rockstar’s problem is exacerbated specifically becauseGTA 6is its only real defense against these fan frustrations, and yet it doesn’t really have any concrete explanation for whyGTA 6hasn’t seen the light of day yet.
TheRed Deadseries finally gotthe excellentRed Dead Redemption 2after an eight-year hiatus, but Rockstar discussed theRDRprequel well before its 2018 release.Red Dead Redemption 2’s development cycle suggests that Rockstar absolutely could’ve revealedGrand Theft Auto 6by now. Instead, eight years have gone by without any sign ofGTA 6,and fans are getting tired of waiting.
Rockstar Has to Make a Move
There’s no turning back on the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions ofGTA 5,of course. This is the way that Rockstar has chosen to buy time forGTA 6,and it’ll have to commit. It doesn’t seem likely thatGTA 6will get announced before these next-gen versions release, since it’d be a huge distraction that could spur fans to save money forGTA 6rather than buying the next-genGTA 5.Based on the current release windows, fans might spend the better part of a year waiting for news at the very least. In other words, theGTA 5delay suggests thatGTA 6’s development is going slowly, if it’s truly in the works at all.
At this point, Rockstar is ideally well aware of what fans really want.Grand Theft Auto 6could have the power to totally reset any damage that’s been done to Rockstar’s reputation by constantly rereleasingGTA 5.Bethesda fans might remember the wave of relief that went through the community when the studio announcedThe Elder Scrolls 6,assuring them thatElder Scrollswouldn’t becomean endless series ofSkyrimrereleases.GTAfans still loveGTA; they just want something new. As long as Rockstar delivers onGTA 6sooner rather than later, the studio should be able to recoup its reputation with ease.
Grand Theft Auto 5is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox one. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions will release in March 2022.
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