Summary

  • GTA 6 is in the final stages of development, with Rockstar employees being called back to the office for increased productivity and security.
  • Fans are excited for the new game, as evidenced by the record-breaking trailer views.
  • Despite employee discontent, Rockstar is prioritizing security to prevent leaks.

After years of anticipation, Grand Theft Auto 6 is entering the last stages of development and Rockstar Games' leadership is preparing for the final push. It's been just over a decade since fans of GTA got a new entry in the series and two years since Rockstar confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6 was in development. Over that time, gamers have grown more excited and hungry for any news about how the sequel is shaping up.

The first GTA 6 trailer broke a YouTube record back in December by getting over 90 million views in just 24 hours, highlighting just how eager fans are for the new game. Since then, there's been lots of speculation and analysis of the trailer but little concrete news or announcements from Rockstar about where things stood or when players could expect more information. Now, it seems an internal email is finally offering fans a hint of how far along in development GTA 6 may be.

Grand Theft Auto 6 logo over San Andreas Cesar Vialpando artwork with music notes
Rumor: Grand Theft Auto 6 May Bring Back One San Andreas Song

Some new evidence suggests that Grand Theft Auto 6 might be bringing back one San Andreas song, albeit likely a different version thereof.

An email from Rockstar's head of publishing, Jenn Kolbe, and obtained by gaming journalist Jason Schreier at Bloomberg, revealed that the publisher considers GTA 6 to be entering the last stages of its development cycle. The message to employees was primarily an announcement that, beginning in April, they would be expected to end their remote or hybrid arrangements and return to the office five days a week. The fact that the game is in the final stages, and the need for heightened productivity and security, was the justification provided for this coming change. This news would seem to lend credence to the predicted Grand Theft Auto 6 release date of Fall 2025.

Rockstar Employees Not Happy About Returning to the Office

Schreier reports that employees are not exactly happy about losing their remote or hybrid schemes and being forced to return to the office full time. Given Rockstar's recent history, however, the concern about increased security ahead of release is understandable. The development of GTA 6 has been plagued by some high-profile leaks for some time, including a leak of the successful trailer ahead of its official release. Some industry observers have argued that the GTA 6 trailer leak could be a sad sign of things to come. So, it makes sense for Rockstar to make security through in-person work a priority at this time.

There has long been speculation about what to expect from Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2024. The game entering its final stage of development likely means that fans can now expect more information to steadily come out in the coming months. This should promise to be an exciting time for gamers.

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Grand Theft Auto 6
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Systems
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Released
November 19, 2026
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.

Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.

Developer(s)
Rockstar Games
Publisher(s)
Rockstar Games
Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure
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