Saints Row director: A misstep from Rockstar could turn GTA VI into a disaster comparable to Atari's E.T.

The design director for the original 2006 Saints Row, Chris Stockman, recently talked about Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI in a podcast, amid its unfortunate delay, pushing the game’s release to November 19, 2026.

Chris talked about open-world game developers eyeing to top Rockstar’s success with the Grand Theft Auto series, mentioning that if GTA VI comes and doesn’t meet player standards, no studio can still manage to one-up Rockstar’s flagship IP.

Stockman drew this analysis from his experience releasing Saints Row as a GTA alternative while Rockstar was busy working on its first entry in the HD-universe, GTA IV. Saints Row became known as the number-two game in the crime simulation genre for years, carving out its own niche with over-the-top, chaotic gameplay and narrative. However, it unfortunately diverged too far, resulting in a 2022 reboot that was poorly received by fans and struggled commercially.

Stockman spoke in the FRVR podcast and said that any modern open-world title has “gotta have its own identity back, it’s gotta have its own thing, but you can’t say, ‘I’m going after GTA.’ You can’t. Not anymore. It’s impossible.” 

He also brought up GTA Online, crediting it with transforming the franchise into “a lifestyle” rather than just a video game. Stockman further discussed studios looking to challenge GTA VI, stating that it’s only possible if Rockstar makes a colossal mistake. 

Stockman, describing a hypothetical disastrous GTA VI launch, compared it to the infamous 1982 Atari 2600 flop E.T., and said :

It’s going to be the biggest game, probably of all time, and I’ll just say this. The only way for someone to really give them a run for their money is if they have a huge misstep. If it comes out and it’s terrible, God forbid the industry, oh my gosh, right? It’s E.T. all over again, but worse because of the budget. It’s going to be a complete disaster. I don’t expect that to happen, but if it is, oh my Lord.

Rockstar has basically upped the ante and set higher expectations with every entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, resulting in unparalleled hype for Grand Theft Auto VI from the gaming community. The stakes for the series are at an all-time high amid multiple delays as Rockstar  ensures “the level of polish you have to come to expect.”

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