What is Rockstar's next game after GTA 6? Execs respond

Eight years separate Red Dead Redemption 2 from GTA 6, and Rockstar's top developers say they don't want the next gap to be that long. The message arrives about five weeks before GTA 6 launches on November 19.

Co-chairs of development Phil Hooker and Aaron Garbut made the case for it in an interview with Bloomberg. They highlighted the engine, tools, and personnel that were built up over the years while developing GTA 6. Hooker believes that this will allow Rockstar to operate faster.

The pattern of release from the studio is the reason why this was noted. GTA 5 was released in 2013, and Red Dead Redemption 2 came out in 2018. The GTA 6 release date will be after eight years.

Rockstar's next game could go 'sideways'

Hooker also said he's confident Rockstar can "go more sideways than upwards." In other words, you shouldn't assume the next release will be an even bigger open-world crime game. It could be something more adjacent, built on the same tech.

Rockstar hasn't announced its next game or committed to a release window.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came roughly one year after GTA 3, taking advantage of what had already been made. Garbut mentioned that GTA 6 needed to be rebuilt from the bottom up, but Rockstar won't "rip it apart" now that they've finished it.

Take, for example, the creation of NPCs in GTA 6. The report suggests that the developers had to build an entirely new studio just to ensure that the technology was up to their standards.

At least right now, the game coming out is Vice City on November 19. What happens afterward, whether it's another small step to the side or another big jump forward, is anybody's guess.