3 Reasons GTA 6 is Bound to Disappoint

GTA VI is going to come out in 2026. After numerous delays and over a decade in between releases in this franchise, the time has almost come for the latest Grand Theft Auto title (barring yet another delay). It’s expected to be a huge hit with fans and critics. The gaming world has waited ages for it, but there are three important reasons GTA VI won’t be as good as everyone hopes, unfortunately.

1) The Hype is Simply Too Big

In the history of gaming, it’s almost impossible to think of a game that has had as much hype as GTA VI. A myriad of factors have contributed to this: Rockstar’s track record, the brilliant history of this particular franchise, the time between releases (for GTA games and just for Rockstar in general), the current state of gaming, and the ever-growing fanbase.

But the hype is just too much. Unless this game is literally the best thing anyone has or ever will play in the video game world, it won’t quite live up to expectations. After over a decade, multiple delays, and more, the feeling is that this game is about to change the world. It might not, which is more than fair, but it won’t satisfy people’s expectations.

Is this a fair criticism? Not at all. Games should be judged on their own merit for what they are, not what anyone thought they should or would be. Just because the world thinks GTA 6 is going to be mind-blowing doesn’t mean it’s a failure if it isn’t, but the world doesn’t think like that. After the release and the hype dies down, people will inevitably say it wasn’t as good as the hype led them to believe. This has happened with plenty of games, and it’s more than likely to happen again this time.

2) It’s Following the Best Game Ever Made

This is a bold, subjective claim, but the idea that Red Dead Redemption 2 is the greatest game ever is not mine alone. It’s held by plenty of gamers and has been for a long time. So following that up is a tall task for any video game. There hasn’t been an actual new game from Rockstar in seven years, so GTA VI has to follow up Red Dead Redemption 2, even though it’ll have been about eight years between games by the time it releases.

The story in RDR2 is immaculate. So is the gameplay. The environment, open world, atmosphere, and just about everything that makes up the game have aged beautifully. It is still a great game, so the expectation for GTA VI is that it will have to be better, which isn’t impossible, but it’s totally unfair.

Rockstar is a really great developer, adept at telling wonderful stories in their games and creating incredible experiences. As a result, it’s not difficult to envision Grand Theft Auto VI as a huge success, but will it live up to Rockstar’s most recent standard? It’s just not likely. However, to be totally fair, Rockstar has consistently gotten better as they’ve released new games, so maybe they’ll completely demolish this idea when GTA VI finally arrives.

3) The State of Modern Gaming Isn’t Ideal

Is Rockstar going to be immune to the perils of modern gaming? That’s the question that GTA VI will have to answer. Microtransactions, heightened price tags, and weak launches have become commonplace. Rockstar has traditionally been one of the stronger developers, but how long can they hold out?

With rising costs and other issues affecting the video game industry at large, there is good reason to think GTA VI might end up falling prey. Rockstar has spent a lot of time and money on this game, and they’ll need to make it back up somehow or another.

How best can they do that? Microtransactions and elevated game prices are one way plenty of other studios have. Time will tell if they do, but it’s possible. Additionally, with all the delays and issues with actually getting this game out, there’s a real chance the launch is buggy and disappointing. That can be fixed later on (just ask Cyberpunk 2077), but it will make the game a huge letdown for gamers.

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