After being leaked online, Rockstar Games has officially released the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6. This highly anticipated game is the latest installment in their critically acclaimed open-world crime series.

Since its launch in 2013, Grand Theft Auto V, the previous installment in the GTA franchise, has sold over 190 million copies. Along with its online version, GTA Online, it stands as the most lucrative entertainment product to date, earning over $7.7 billion for publisher Take-Two.

The trailer for GTA 6 hints at a 2025 launch, bringing players back to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional version of Miami. This city was previously featured in 2006’s GTA: Vice City Stories, along with the surrounding state of Leonida.

The preview begins with Lucia, one of the two main characters in the game, dressed in a prison outfit and appearing to be in a meeting for parole. It ends with her and a companion robbing a store. In the middle, there are clips reminiscent of TikTok showing mostly unlawful activities in Florida, including alligators, speedy cars, flamingos, strip clubs, and parties on rooftops. The visuals alternate between stunning beaches and bright neon signs, giving a glimpse into the city’s wild and scandalous lifestyle.

Lucia is the initial female main character in a GTA game with an expansive world. The original game, which came out in 1997, included four female avatars but they were all without voices or distinct characteristics.

The video game company Rockstar Games recently announced the release of GTA 6, describing it as “the most expansive and immersive version of the Grand Theft Auto franchise to date.” Founder Sam Houser stated that the game’s focus remains on pushing boundaries and creating a highly immersive, narrative-driven open-world experience.

Accompanied by the Tom Petty tune Love is a Long Road, the trailer marks the beginning of over a year of anticipation for the game. Originally set to debut on December 5th, Rockstar unexpectedly released it 13 hours earlier due to a leak on X (previously known as Twitter) with a prominent watermark promoting the purchase of Bitcoin.

In the past, Rockstar experienced a security breach where approximately 90 minutes of unreleased gameplay footage was leaked. Unverified snippets have also surfaced on TikTok, allegedly shared by someone who identified as the child of a Rockstar staff member.

Source: theguardian.com