One of the most popular games from the early 2010s, GTA V, is finally getting its long-awaited sequel. Since 2013, fans of the Grand Theft Auto series, developed by Rockstar Games, have been left without a new entry in the franchise.
On the fifth of December 2023, fans could finally get their hopes up. Despite not coming out until 2025, GTA VI is one of the most anticipated games ever. The trailer amassed over 145 million views in the first ten days. That number would have been higher if other sites hadn’t released it early, stealing traffic from the official trailer.
“I was in like kindergarten when five came out,” said senior Caydo Kruger, “I watched the trailer about four times, then I watched a video, like analyzing it and that was like 40 minutes.”
GTA V has a wildly successful online free-roam mode in which the player can explore the crime-ridden Los Santos, but also has a highly acclaimed story mode. GTA VI is the first GTA game with a female protagonist. Lucia, a Latina woman, will make her way through the game with co-protagonist Jason.
“I’m really excited to play the story,” said Kruger. While long-time fans have always kept the new GTA release in the back of their minds, there is a younger generation of gamers Rockstar needs to reach with its marketing.
“It took them so long that I forgot about it,” said freshman Camren Losey. Many fans of GTA V have left the game by now, moving on to Rockstar’s newer release, Read Dead Redemption 2, or moving out of the Rockstar ecosystem altogether.
If Rockstar wants GTA VI to live up to its potential as a generation-defining release, it must get the fans back on its side. This trailer is a great start, but the road ahead will be tough.