Rockstar announces Grand Theft Auto 6 … in a tweet

Rockstar Games is making a new Grand Theft Auto game. That was true even before the company admitted it, but it has now publicly confirmed development in a blog post and a tweet.

“With the unprecedented longevity of GTAV, we know many of you have been asking us about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. With every new project we embark on, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we have previously delivered — and we are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway.”

Rockstar Games Newswire — February 4, 2022

This is another entry in a recent spree of early game announcements. Last month, Respawn announced it is making some new Star Wars games, Blizzard revealed it’s producing a survival game, and Crytek teased Crytek 4. As part of all these announcements, the companies noted that they are hiring. And that is likely a big part of the reason Rockstar is finally talking about GTA VI.

Talent is tough to come by right now due to a shifting labor market. Demand for games and remote work is enabling people to get paid more working wherever they want. In response, studios need to make people want to work with them.

Of course, Rockstar might also be financially posturing. Its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, reports its earnings on February 7, and maybe chief executive officer Strauss Zelnick wants to use this announcement to talk about an oh-so-bright future for the publisher.

Grand Theft Auto VI was always inevitable even if GTA V and GTA Online have had staggering staying power. This is one of gaming’s biggest franchises. But for fans, any communication must feel like a positive after waiting for so long to see something new.