Without even having released an announcement trailer, Rockstar Studios' Grand Theft Auto 6 is already one of the most anticipated games of the decade. The previous installment is one of the best-selling games of all time and the highest-grossing piece of fictional media ever. Now, however, it could very well be that Grand Theft Auto 6 may opt to tell a different kind of story.
Last year, Grand Theft Auto 6 faced several high-profile leaks. While nothing has been confirmed from Rockstar Studios, most of the stories point to the narrative involving a pair of characters who are being modeled after Bonnie and Clyde. This, along with several other details, seems to point to a plot that is anything but a traditional criminal story.
The Traditional Grand Theft Auto Criminal Story
The stories of the Grand Theft Auto games are never consistent in formula but tend to have a lot of comment elements. Specifically, they always seem to involve organized crime. In Grand Theft Auto 3, the main character was a thug who was working for different criminal organizations. The stories of Vice City and San Andreas, however, told a more traditional Scarface story about the rise of a gangster. All three Grand Theft Auto games have since been released on Steam as part of a definitive edition trilogy. The later games, however, are where the formula begins to shake up.
Like the third game, the story of Grand Theft Auto 4 revolves around a character who is never fully invested in any gang or syndicate. Niko Bellic is an overall more serious character than other GTA protagonists and befriends many organized crime leaders and members. There is, however, always a sense that the character is on the outside and will never be "one of them" so to speak.
The story of Grand Theft Auto 5 is full of wild missions and almost functions as a parody of previous installments with its plot. Both Franklin and Trevor keep trying to become organized crime figures and occasionally meet and do business with other syndicate bosses, only for things to go horribly wrong. Right off the bat, the franchise is one that doesn't necessarily adhere to any criminal story formula. If the leaks for GTA 6 are to be believed, however, the upcoming game may be going further away from the norm.
Why Grand Theft Auto 6 Won't Be A Traditional Gangster Story
The leaked gameplay footage for GTA 6 primarily focused on its female protagonist and seemed to lean into the Bonnie and Clyde aspect. It shows the character committing robberies, fighting cops, and generally causing mayhem. While the footage was incomplete, it pointed to the character being more involved with lower-scale crimes as opposed to the more organized stuff that players are used to seeing in these games.
In addition, one of the player characters for the game may be a member of law enforcement. One of the first rounds of GTA 6 leaks suggested that the main characters would be twins who were separated after their parents are murdered. The male character ends up as a DEA agent while the woman ends up in a life of crime. If true, this would be the first time GTA focuses on a member of law enforcement, which would completely change the dynamic players are used to. What circumstances bring the two back together, however, remains to be seen.
At this stage, it's still impossible to say for sure what direction the game will take. The nature of video game development allows for and demands constant change. However, the current rumored release window for Grand Theft Auto 6 in relation to the leaks seems to indicate that this might be a more final plan. Regardless, what is clear is that the game will likely not tell a traditional criminal story.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.