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GTA 6 leak from former Rockstar Games artist suggests development didn't intensify until 2018

Logo set on GTA 6 trailer backdrop (Image source: Rockstar Games with edits)
Logo set on GTA 6 trailer backdrop (Image source: Rockstar Games with edits)
Gamers have new clues as to when the design phase of GTA 6 development began. A former artist explained that he didn't start executing Rockstar Games' vision for the game until 2018. Internal turmoil in the company and COVID also led to postponements in the GTA 6 release date.

The GTA 6 release date delay has frustrated gamers waiting for the crime-themed adventure. Many reports indicated that development for the title began in 2014. Yet, even with a 12+ year gap since GTA 5, Rockstar Games isn't ready to debut the sequel. However, reacting to the new GTA 6 trailer, a former artist, David O'Reilly, revealed that his work on the game didn't begin until 2018.

Gamers shouldn't assume that Rockstar Games started planning GTA 6 seven years ago. Ideas for the game likely emerged soon after its predecessor. Still, designers need a more final concept to work with before creating assets.

In 2018, a GTA 6 leak surfaced about Project Americas, a codename for the title. Initially, the game was to be set in Vice City and South America. The developers also wanted the story to focus on a female protagonist resembling Lucia. The timing coincides with when artist David O'Reilly commenced his efforts on the game. In the video, O'Reilly also hinted that Rockstar Games didn't focus entirely on GTA 6 until Red Dead Redemption 2 was released.

Even if development didn't ramp up until 2018, that's still at least eight years before the GTA 6 release date. Other factors have led to the gradual evolution of the title. The studio has promised that the game will feature wide-open maps that require a painstaking process to realize. Like most developers, Rockstar Games was also slowed by the COVID pandemic. Around the same time, Bloomberg reported that the company fired abusive executives and cut back on working hours.

O'Reilly's revelations highlight that game development happens in several cycles. It may have taken four years before designers started modeling the latest Vice City. If GTA 6 finally arrives in May 2026, gamers can only hope it meets their lofty expectations.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 05 > GTA 6 leak from former Rockstar Games artist suggests development didn't intensify until 2018
Adam Corsetti, 2025-05-11 (Update: 2025-05-11)