GTA 6 Has Reportedly Downscaled Massively Already

When is a game too big? In today's society, everyone is asking for bigger and better - with open-world games becoming the norm. Big is the name of the game for Grand Theft Auto, with Rockstar Games' automotive adventure getting bigger with every outing.

Remembering that 2013's GTA V is the most profitable entertainment product of all time, there are obvious hopes that GTA 6 will raise the bar further. Things are already looking positive with it soaring on social media, however, Rockstar is doing things differently in the wake of 2018's Red Dead Redemption being caught in a crunch culture. 

Has Rockstar Downsized GTA 6?

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There's been a recent rush on GTA 6 news, with a massive Bloomberg dump claiming there will be a female protagonist and a possible return to the fan-favourite Vice City. According to Axios' Stephen Totilo, GTA 6 has already been scaled down. Reportedly, there were going to be four protagonists before this was cut down to two.

Given that GTA V had Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, it makes sense that a bigger and bolder sequel would up the protagonists. Elsewhere, rumours of multiple cities have possibly been shot down. Although Totilo says there were plans for three cities, this could've been shrunk to just one.

Bloomberg said that Rockstar is trying to shed its "frat boy" image. We're told to expect a very different GTA 6 that won't "punch down" against marginalised groups. Looking at the franchise's checkered past with the likes of sexism and transphobia, it's easy to see why this might be the case. Then again, critics are already calling out the developer as being "woke" - saying that GTA won't be GTA anymore. 

What Else Do We Know About GTA 6?

Rockstar will apparently update GTA 6 over time, which should alleviate some of the crunch in the run-up to its release. The updates will do more than just add new missions, with the idea of more cities being tacked onto the map being a major possibility. With this in mind, Rockstar has appointed more producers and a management structure in the wake of Design Director Imran Sarwar leaving in the midst of allegations of bullying.

The million-dollar question is when will GTA 6 release? The AAA title has reportedly been accelerated into production, with whispers of a release in the 2023-2024 financial year. That might sound ambitious, but with Rockstar sailing Red Dead Online down the river, it's all hands on deck as GTA remains the developer's golden goose. Bigger isn't always better, and if Rockstar is smart, it will learn to walk before it can run with GTA 6.