Ex-Rockstar dev says GTA 6 won't launch until "100% perfect" – it's got no competition

In brief: If you've been anxiously drumming your fingers in anticipation of the next chapter in Rockstar's iconic crime saga, you might have to keep drumming for a bit longer. Former Rockstar developer Obbe Vermeij has hinted that, while GTA 6 is targeting a 2025 release, some factors remain outside of the studio's control.

Vermeij was a key figure at Rockstar North during its heyday, serving as technical director through the development of iconic titles like GTA 3 and GTA 4. He's since moved on but still keeps a watchful eye on his former studio. According to him, Rockstar won't release GTA 6 until they're completely satisfied with the game, even if that means pushing back the release date.

"The decision to delay GTA 4 was made four months or so before the original release date," Vermeij revealed. "Any further and it's hard to make the call. Rockstar is probably not in a position to determine whether they will hit 2025 until May-ish."

The decision to delay gtaIV was made 4 months or so before the original release date. Any further and it's hard to make the call. R* is probably not in a position to determine whether they will hit 2025 until May-ish.

Also:
GtaVI will sell for 10+ years and there is no…

– Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) September 14, 2024

Vermeij then dove into the reasons GTA 4 was delayed, citing buggy code, missions that needed more time, and performance issues on the PlayStation 3 as the primary culprits. He added that the game simply wasn't ready at the time, and releasing it would have been disastrous.

"Delaying is almost always the right option IMO," he quips.

Naturally, GTA 6 is expected to be far more ambitious than GTA 4, meaning extensive polishing will be required. But as Vermeij explains, Rockstar isn't under pressure to rush its release.

"GTA 6 will sell for 10+ years and there is no competition to worry about. They are not going to release the game until they're 100% happy with it. No matter what it said in the trailer."

We've been waiting for GTA 6 for years now, so what's a few more months, right? Unfortunately, Vermeij hinted that PC gamers might be in for a much longer wait. When asked about the PC version's release timing, he cheekily responded, "2027 for you, I'm afraid." Yikes! Let's hope that was just a joke.

2027 for you I'm afraid.

– Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) September 14, 2024

At the end of the day, Vermeij is a former insider offering speculation based on his own experience. Any actual decision to delay will ultimately come from the top at Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two.

It's worth noting that back in May, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick was "highly confident" in GTA 6's targeted release date of fall 2025, despite Rockstar's "quest for perfection." Hopefully, this means the gap between the console and PC releases won't be uncomfortably wide.

Vermeij also touched on the potential performance challenges posed by the underpowered Xbox Series S. He suggested that the gap between Microsoft's entry-level console and Sony's PS5 Pro could create issues. Ideally, GTA 6 would run at 30fps on the Series S, Series X, and base PS5, with the Pro model offering a smoother 60fps experience. However, optimizing for the Series S's modest specs is likely going to be tough.

"Series S is a headache for devs for sure," he stated.