Rockstar Games is keeping its biggest release yet tightly under wraps, while the next chapter in the nearly 30-year-old series has generated extraordinary anticipation.
In an interview with the BBC, Dave Jones, who helped create the original Grand Theft Auto, and Brian Baglow, the original game's writer and publicist, said they have not played the new title ahead of its launch. Asked whether he had been able to try the game early, Baglow shook his head. "I've got the pre-order," he said.
The original Grand Theft Auto was released in 1997 by DMA Design in Dundee, Scotland, with a relatively small team. The studio was toying with the idea of a racing game called Race'n'Chase, but the team decided to let players get out of the car, steal other vehicles and run around on foot, creating an “interesting mix of gaming”. Jones said the team always wanted “to do something different” and felt it would be “way more fun playing the bad guy”.
The original game was a “slow burn” in sales compared with the studio's earlier hit Lemmings, but Baglow said the team reckoned its continued sales were due to word of mouth. Its themes of criminality sparked controversy and debates in the UK Parliament, though it later emerged that much of the controversy was generated by the publisher BMG Interactive as a viral marketing stunt. “We never at any point kind of thought, should we do that? Is it controversial? We never thought that way,” Jones said.
GTA 6 is expected to surpass its predecessor in scale, scope and revenue. Both PlayStation and Xbox have said the game has become the most pre-ordered title in their digital stores' history. This may be partly due to its 212GB file size, with many pre-ordering to pre-load before launch. Guardian video games editor Keza MacDonald said the game is “hoping to be a shot in the arm for the general games industry” and that “every player is looking to see what Rockstar's been doing for all this time”.
Asked whether they wished they were still working on the game given the global attention, Jones said, “I think everybody loves having their time on it, for one, two, three versions... but eventually you want to go off and do other things as well”. Baglow said watching the rest of the world fall in love with the game over the last 29 years “has just been joyful”.
GTA 6 will feature brand new protagonists Jason and Lucia, the first playable female character in any of the 3D games, and is set in the fictional state of Leonida, expected to be double the size of GTA V's map.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated entertainment products in history, with a launch expected to drive significant spending in the gaming industry.
- The game's release, after a 13-year wait, two delays and several high-profile leaks, will test whether the series can sustain its cultural dominance.
- The fact that even original creators have no special access highlights Rockstar's extreme secrecy, which itself fuels public anticipation.
Background
Grand Theft Auto was created by DMA Design (later Rockstar North) in Dundee, Scotland, and first released in 1997. The series has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and become a cultural touchstone, with later entries praised for their satirical take on American life. GTA V, released in 2013, made US$1 billion in its first three days, a record for any entertainment product at the time.
Key Perspectives
- Dave Jones (GTA co-creator): Said the team always wanted something different and felt it would be more fun playing the bad guy. Called the cultural impact "surreal".
- Brian Baglow (original writer and publicist): Said watching the world fall in love with the game over 29 years "has been fantastic". Has pre-ordered GTA 6 like everyone else.
- Keza MacDonald (Guardian video games editor): Said the game is a "shot in the arm" for the industry and that films are now "probably more influenced by GTA" than the reverse.
What to Watch
- Whether GTA 6 ships on its current release schedule or faces further delays.
- Sales performance in the first week, compared to GTA V's record-breaking US$1 billion.
- Cultural reception: whether the game's satire lands as sharply as earlier entries in an era of heightened political discourse.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe original GTA creators have not played GTA 6 ahead of launch.BBC News: “Have either of them been able to play the new game ahead of launch? Baglow shakes his head.”
- SupportedDave Jones says they are waiting to see what Rockstar has done.BBC News: “"We're all waiting to see what they've done," Dave Jones, GTA's co-creator, tells me”
- SupportedBrian Baglow says he has pre-ordered GTA 6.BBC News: “"I've got the pre-order," he says.”
- SupportedRockstar is keeping its biggest release yet tightly under wraps.BBC News: “And with developer Rockstar Games keeping their biggest release yet, tightly under wraps”
- SupportedThe next chapter in the nearly 30-year-old series has generated extraordinary anticipation.BBC News: “The next chapter in the nearly 30-year-old series, where players explore open worlds and break the law, has created an extraordinary level of anticipation.”
- SupportedJones helped create the original GTA, and Baglow was its writer and publicist.BBC News: “Dave Jones, GTA's co-creator, tells me, sitting alongside the original game's writer and publicist, Brian Baglow.”
- Partly supportedThe original GTA was released in 1997 by DMA Design in Dundee, Scotland, with a relatively small team.BBC News: “The original Grand Theft Auto was released in 1997 in Dundee, Scotland by DMA Design, a relatively small team, at least judging by later games' standards.”
- SupportedGTA 6 is expected to surpass its predecessor in scale, scope and revenue.BBC News: “GTA 6 is expected to surpass its predecessor on every level, not only in scale and scope, but also in revenue.”
- SupportedPlayStation and Xbox have said GTA 6 is the most pre-ordered title in their digital stores' history.BBC News: “Already, both PlayStation and Xbox, the two platforms the game is initially releasing on, have said the game has become the most pre-ordered title in their digital stores' history.”
- SupportedGTA 6's 212GB size may partly explain pre-orders, as many people are pre-ordering to pre-load it.BBC News: “This may be partly down to its huge size (212GB), meaning many are pre-ordering to "pre-load" the game”
- SupportedThe game will feature Jason and Lucia, and Lucia is the first playable female character in any of the 3D games.BBC News: “GTA 6 will feature brand new protagonists Jason and Lucia - the first playable female character in any of the 3D games”
- SupportedGTA 6 is set in fictional Leonida, expected to be double the size of GTA V's map.BBC News: “The new game's location - the fictional state of Leonida - is expected to be double the size of GTA V's map”
