It’s no secret that Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the most successful games of all time, no hyperbole whatsoever, and for that reason, Rockstar’s focus on it and GTA Online makes perfect sense. This has come at the potential cost of some of its backlog over time, likely including the cancellation of Agent and Bully, as the GTA franchise as a whole took off. Indeed, it’s hard not to associate Rockstar as a GTA and RDR studio, with Grand Theft Auto 6 as the next game on the horizon.
When it officially announced the development of Grand Theft Auto 6, fans were ecstatic. It’ll no doubt be hard for GTA 6 to follow GTA 5, but the inverse of that is GTA 6 is an almost guaranteed excess. In fact, recent news is good for GTA 6 if not so good for Red Dead.
As outlined by Rockstar in a recent blog post, it has slowly and steadily shifted resources toward Grand Theft Auto 6 over the past few years. This could potentially explain why updates for Red Dead Online have waned to the point that RDO players are hosting its funeral. It seems that Rockstar is shifting even more focus to GTA 6 now, as it outlined plans for RDO than may be less ideal than some wanted.
That’s not to say that Rockstar isn’t planning anything for Red Dead Online, just that its plans include showcasing its unique modes, seasonal events and improvements, new Telegram missions, and community spotlights. In other words, it sounds more like it’s going on autopilot than any game with the full backing and support of its developer. Fans will be getting more, but between this and the community’s upset with the July 2022 update, it seems that Red Dead Online will remain mostly stagnant over the next few years.
What’s bad for Red Dead here is likely good for Grand Theft Auto 6. Part of this shifting resource tactic is because Rockstar understands that Grand Theft Auto 6 “more than ever the need to exceed players’ expectations and for this next entry to be the best it can possibly be.” Again, even for Rockstar, to follow GTA 5 is a daunting task.
As to when fans learn more, it’s currently unknown. Some online murmurings suggest Grand Theft Auto 6 could get a proper teaser this year, with the game planning for a 2024 release. However, Grand Theft Auto 6 rumors are a dime-a-dozen, so fans should take this with a healthy grain of salt.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.
Source: Rockstar Games