GTA 6 and Red Dead 3 Will Have a Symbiotic Relationship

Summary

Fans are eagerly analyzing every detail of the GTA 6 reveal trailer for clues, and they will undoubtedly be looking to make more connections - both believable and over-the-top - when the full game debuts.
Some players believe Red Dead Redemption 2 holds hints about GTA 6, suggesting a shared universe or canon link between the games.
GTA 6's setting in Vice City won't stop fans from searching for any Western-related clues or references in the game, with many likely hoping there will be some Red Dead Redemption 3 hints within the next Grand Theft Auto.

Calling Grand Theft Auto 6 highly anticipated would be an understatement. The GTA 6 reveal trailer broke records and sent the internet into a frenzy, with fans of the franchise scrutinizing the 90-second video for any possible hints relating to gameplay, narrative, or setting, but this is nothing new; Rockstar's games have always been subject to intense analysis and speculation, and this is likely to continue even after GTA 6 releases.

The wait for GTA 6 has stretched to an arduous point, leading large portions of the fanbase to grasp at straws, searching for any possible clues about the long-awaited game. Tweets from Rockstar, interviews with the actors from GTA 5, and various minute details in previous GTA games have all been fair game when it comes to analyses leading to GTA 6 information. Even Red Dead Redemption 2 was scoured for possible references to the action-crime franchise, with players coming to a number of different conclusions based on the content of the former.

GTA 6's Next Trailer May Already Have The Perfect Release Date

Grand Theft Auto 6 made a pretty monumental first impression with its announcement trailer, and its next trailer already has the perfect release date.

Posts

By Cameron Swan

Players Will Probably Look for Clues About Red Dead Redemption 3 in GTA 6

Players Looked for GTA References in Red Dead Redemption 2

Lines can be drawn between Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA 6, as both franchises share similar design philosophies despite their wildly different tones and gameplay formulas. Both series reference each other in many ways, mainly through run-of-the-mill Easter eggs, but players have probed a bit deeper, with many asserting that certain similarities between Red Dead 2 and GTA point to both games being set in the same universe or being otherwise canonically linked.

One of the most commonly discussed Red Dead Redemption 2 theories has to do with Guarma, the tropical island that Arthur and company get stranded on in chapter five. Theorists have posited that Guarma was a test for GTA 6, either to see how players would respond to a next-gen tropical environment, or to save money on development by reusing assets. Admittedly, this theory is a bit far-fetched, but it speaks to just how observant and reference-hungry many players are. There is every reason to believe that a mirrored version of this phenomenon will occur when GTA 6 releases.

The Guarma theory has become popular in large part because of the controversial nature of the island's inclusion in Red Dead 2: many players feel that the Guarma chapter is out of place and irrelevant, hence why they believe Rockstar had other motivations behind its inclusion.

With GTA 6 taking place in Vice City, a parody of modern Miami filled with party animals and beach lovers, the game isn't likely to have many overt references to the world explored by the heroes of Red Dead Redemption. But that won't stop fans from keeping an eye out for details pointing to the setting, premise, or protagonists of Red Dead Redemption 3. If there's a mention of Mexico, players will theorize that it will be the setting for RDR3; if a character mentions how their great-grandmother was a famous bounty hunter, it will be looked at as evidence that Sadie Adler is set to be the protagonist of the third game; and so on.

Although the granular nature of some video game theories can border on comical at times, there's nothing inherently wrong with them, even if they can be stretches. After all, GTA 6 could very well prove the shared universe or Guarma theories. Ultimately, this sort of scrutiny comes from a place of passion and anticipation, which are two things gamers have in spades when it comes to Red Dead Redemption 3 and Grand Theft Auto 6.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image

Grand Theft Auto 6

Display card tags widget

Action

Adventure

Display card system widget

Systems

Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget

Released: November 19, 2026

Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.

Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.