GTA 6 leak hints at Manhunt sequel

All eyes are on Rockstar Games right now, and while we haven't had much in the way of marketing for the next Grand Theft Auto, GTA 6 is arguably marketing itself. It's been nearly a decade since GTA V broke the gaming industry, meaning the pressure is on for its successor to perform.

From what little we've heard so far, GTA 6 could be the biggest video game of all time, and with it, we're expecting a much bigger map. We've heard about multiple cities and a possible South American segue, but now, leaks suggest were getting an unexpected Manhunt sequel.

Is GTA 6 a secret Manhunt sequel?

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Away from GTA and Bully, Rockstar is remembered for the uber-violent Manhunt. First released in 2003, Manhunt followed Death Row inmate James Earl Cash, who is forced to participate in a series of snuff films to try and earn his freedom.

If you thought GTA was controversial, that's nothing compared to Manhunt and its 2007 sequel. Rockstar has repeatedly said it has no plans to continue the series, but with a potential return to Carcer City in GTA 6, we could see it carry on in a different way. 

We know we're going back to Vice City for GTA 6, but as hinted by GizChina, there are other cities out there. The (now-defunct) iFruit app used to customise vehicles turned up an interesting datamine that pointed toward the return of several GTA cities. 

Alongside Vice City, there are options for Liberty City, and San Andreas. The Manhunt idea comes from a license plate for the soft drink known as Sprunk, which is available in GTA and was prominent in the Manhunt games. 

It's a bit of a leap, but let's tie all of this all together with previous leaks from the trusted Tez2, who has previously said, "I'm 80% confident of Carcer City, VC, Cuba, among others." GTA loves to nod to Manhunt with Easter eggs, so taking us to Carcer City is the next logical step.

Does Manhunt exist in GTA?

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We know Manhunt and GTA exist in the same universe, with Carcer City set somewhere near GTA IV's Liberty City. In GTA III, there's a mention of Manhunt's corrupt Gary Schaffer, GTA IV has pedestrians wearing Carcer City Unicorns outfits, and GTA Online has a pixelated Carcer n the Camheadz arcade game.

Having Carcer City appear in GTA 6 is a clever way to continue the series without having to splash out on a third game that might not sell. It's also a way to gauge interest in the dormant franchise and see if there's enough interest in a potential sequel.

If not, reminding players why Manhunt is a cult classic could spur Rockstar forward to remake/remaster the original games. Then again, we saw how underwhelming the GTA Trilogy was. Hopefully, Manhunt hasn't been given the death sentence we thought it had by Rockstar.