Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise that has permeated culture beyond just the gaming community. Grand Theft Auto V was released in 2013, and the over 10-year gap before the next installment made Grand Theft Auto VI the subject of tons of online speculation.

GTA V featured an even bigger open world than its predecessors and immersive storylines that kept players at it for hours, days, and weeks, if not years. Thanks to an insane amount of marketing and the high quality of the game itself, it earned a record $1 billion in just three days.

So, the stakes were high for the franchise’s publisher, Rockstar Games, to create another watershed gaming moment when they were developing GTA VI. The internet gaming community, of course, swirled around a lot of rumors regarding what updates it would have, and those were amplified by actual leaks.

Here’s a look at some of those bigger speculations that swirled around the internet before GTA VI’s release.

1. Potential storylines

One of the chief attractions of any Grand Theft Auto title is the story, usually based around multiple capers being pulled, and having to avoid the authorities as a consequence. The protagonists have been characters like mobster Tommy Vercetti in GTA: Vice City or gang member Carl "CJ" Johnson in GTA: San Andreas. But GTA V upped the ante by including three separate playable protagonists. Back in 2022, it was reported that GTA VI would include a pair of playable characters that were twins, a brother and a sister. The alleged story would find players learning about their separation after the murder of their parents in Brazil, and the twins reuniting as adults, but on opposite sides — the brother part of the DOA (a game version of the real Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)) and the sister a cartel hitwoman.

2. 2022 leak

There was a huge leak of the game in 2022, which was confirmed by Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive. The leak, which included 90 videos of the game, was a black eye for Rockstar Games, who naturally wanted to keep development as tight-lipped as possible so as to release info on their own terms. Even though the leak was essentially rough sketches of gameplay, it still ramped up the anticipation for GTA VI even more and created tons of online rumors based on the footage.

3. Official trailer

Because of yet another leak, Rockstar Games bumped up the release (originally set for Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, at 9 a.m. EST) of GTA VI’s official trailer to December 4, 2023. In the teaser, we see a pair of protagonists, as well as plenty of ratchetness, exploring the tough but fun world of Vice City (based on Miami), including several real-world references. The trailer racked up tons of rumors and hundreds of millions of views, showing how many fans wanted to get a preview before the official release.

4. Bad a** women

The trailer also officially introduced Lucia, who has the distinction of being the first female character in such a distinctive main role in a GTA title. Before the trailer confirmed it, her arrival was long rumored. She and her male partner, who both appear to be Latino, are seen putting in work as a dynamic duo amidst the colorful madness of Vice City throughout the trailer. Her role also spawned ideas about how else GTA VI would portray women and what other female characters could be part of the storyline.

5. New directions

It was rumored that the prior leak of Lucia as a character could have been a strategic move on Rockstar Games’ part. The company was taking heat over speculation that it was a toxic workplace, so some fans suspected that it was part of a larger campaign to change their image and move in a new direction. Bloomberg also reported that the publisher had “cleaned up its frat-boy culture,” which many gamers then rumored was affecting the storylines of GTA VI. Plus, they stopped developing a “Cops n' Crooks” mode for GTA Online after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, and they removed transphobic jokes from GTA V’s remasters. Respect.

6. World building and fishing

Grand Theft Auto III launched in 2001 as the first 3D game in the series, which revolutionized open-world video games and turbocharged the franchise. In every installment, players were able to spend inordinate amounts of time just driving around different cities (all inspired by the likes of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the aforementioned Miami, and more) or go on excursions like flying helicopters or committing robberies. Every new title has featured a more expansive world, culminating in the rumors that you can take down entire buildings and even go fishing in Grand Theft Auto VI. No one expected GTA VI to be any different, but they did expect it to bring even more to the table.

7. The actual release date

Fans don’t know exactly what caused such a big gap between the release of GTA V and GTA VI, but they did know that the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 certainly didn’t help get GTA VI ready for play on their Xbox or PlayStation any faster. After just five years, many were confident it would come out soon, since that was the previous maximum amount of time between titles. After more than 10 passed, the internet had fun with the waiting game, even making memes that included WWE star John Cena getting in on the fun. After setting the release for Fall 2025, it was delayed yet again when Rockstar Games released a statement with a release set for May 26, 2026.