Final yr, footage of the following Grand Theft Auto—assumed to be GTA 6—leaked on-line. Whereas Rockstar shortly tried to erase the movies from the web and plug the holes within the ship, it was unimaginable to fully comprise such a large, unprecedented leak. So followers all over the world acquired an excellent take a look at the way forward for Grand Theft Auto. And now myself and others discover it onerous to return to the getting older GTA On-line.
Late on September 19, 2022, 90 brief movies of early gameplay of what would later be confirmed by Rockstar as the following GTA entry leaked on-line through a hacker. The footage revealed rather a lot in regards to the subsequent sport within the massively well-liked open-world franchise, together with that the sequence could be returning to Vice Metropolis, Florida, a fan-favorite location final seen in GTA: Vice Metropolis Tales, the prequel to the beloved PS2 traditional, GTA: Vice Metropolis. It additionally gave us a superb take a look at the brand new protagonists of this subsequent prison journey and among the missions we would expertise when GTA 6 is ultimately launched. Followers even started mapping out the sport’s digital world utilizing the leaks.
Rockstar undoubtedly hates the leak and certain needs it might rewind time and forestall it from ever occurring in any respect, however it did find yourself revitalizing the playerbase. For the primary time in a very long time, there was pleasure and vitality within the GTA group, which after years of GTA On-line updates and poorly obtained remasters was in a reasonably unhealthy place previous to the leak. Even an early, unfinished or unpolished leak of GTA 6 was higher than radio silence and glitchy remasters. Individuals had been pumped and hyped about the way forward for Grand Theft Auto in a method I hadn’t seen in years.
However then, as soon as the leaks had been scrubbed from the online and it turned clear Rockstar wasn’t going to launch any official teaser or trailer to capitalize on the second, all I and different GTA followers might do was return to GTA On-line. And that’s tougher to do now that I’ve seen the longer term.
The newest large and free growth to GTA On-line, Los Santos Drug Battles, was launched late final yr at a very unhealthy time for me to play and canopy it for the positioning. So I simply…didn’t play it. For the primary time ever within the historical past of GTA On-line, I skipped a brand new replace fully. I’ve nonetheless not performed it. At first, I blamed my skipping of the most recent replace on unhealthy timing and a busy schedule on account of holidays and end-of-the-year content material. However now, weeks faraway from all that, with extra free time to play stuff, I’ve nonetheless not fired up the brand new replace. And I believe it’s time to confess to myself that my rising burnout round GTA On-line was elevated vastly by that small style of what’s to come back. That take a look at the way forward for GTA in Florida ruined me.
I might return and drive across the identical highways and streets of Los Santos I’ve been cruising round since 2013. I might hearth up the sport and take a look at the most recent enterprise and missions related to it. I might, positive. The factor is, I don’t know if I wish to. I imply, ultimately, I’ll play extra GTA On-line. I type of must because it’s a part of my job right here at Kotaku. But, if it wasn’t a part of my profession there’s an actual likelihood that I would simply by no means play GTA On-line once more.
To be clear: It’s not as a result of GTA On-line is worse at this time than it was a decade in the past—it’s really significantly better to play in 2023 than in 2013—however as a result of getting a glimpse of a recent new world has killed my need in addition up the identical previous Los Santos after a decade of GTA On-line and GTA V. I imply, simply having new songs on the radio will probably be superb. I like Queen’s “Radio Ga-Ga” however you may solely hear it so many occasions in 10 years earlier than you’re prepared for brand spanking new tunes, too.
At this level, I’m hoping the look ahead to Grand Theft Auto 6 and its sunny seashores, palm timber, and new characters isn’t an excessive amount of longer, as a result of I’m prepared to go away Los Santos behind for a tropical trip to Vice Metropolis.