'Grand Theft Auto 6' Reportedly In Early Development, Still Years Away

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. TTWO has reportedly confirmed that Rockstar Games has started development on the next "Grand Theft Auto" title.

While "Grand Theft Auto 6" wasn't explicitly noted, it's an expected progression now that "Grand Theft Auto 5" has been out since 2013.

The release is still years away. GTA titles are notoriously large games, but part of the lengthy development time could be because of cultural changes occurring within the company.

Next GTA Could Be 'Moderately Sized Release'

Rockstar is one of the companies in the industry that has come under criticism for working developers in what's known as "crunch time," a period of strenuous overtime in an attempt to reach a deadline. It usually occurs toward the end of a game's development.

After "Red Dead Redemption 2" was released, studio co-founder Dan Houser disclosed that the team was dedicating 100-hour weeks in the final stages.

In order to lessen stress and crunch time, Kotaku reports that "Grand Theft Auto 6" may start out with a "moderately sized release that is then expanded with regular updates over time."

It's unclear if the future content will be included as free or paid downloadable content. With the team's experience with the continuous flow of content in "Grand Theft Auto: Online," the additions to "GTA 6" will hopefully be smooth releases.

Take-Two President Says 'A Lot Of Titles' In Pipeline 

The launch of the base game has not been officially determined. Investors predict the game's release will occur in FY22 or FY23, but the length of time between "Grand Theft Auto 5" and the next installation in the series could affect the company's growth.

While Rockstar, and specifically Take-Two, have experienced growth without relying on GTA or Red Dead, the two titles have been massive successes. Take-Two has said it has a "record amount of content in the works at Rockstar and 2K, including new and existing IP."

Rockstar's dedication to "GTA 6" could mean that the next "Manhunt" and "Bully" games are off the table, and other huge titles like "Bioshock" are also years away from release.

So what can players expect to see in the gap between now and "Grand Theft Auto 6's" launch?

"In terms of what you're going to see in the pipeline ... it really is all over the entire company," Take-Two Interactive President Karl Slatoff said on an earnings call.

"We've got new investments at Social Point, we've got new investments in Private Division. You're already seeing two new titles coming out this coming fiscal year in Private Division. So obviously the pace is starting to pick up in there. There is also a lot of investment at the 2K Games level. I can tell you that there's certainly a lot of titles in the pipeline."

Photo courtesy of Rockstar Games.