As people continue to speculate about what Rockstar has in store for its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, one way the developer could grow the series is by turning to an unusual, family-friendly inspiration. When Wave 1 of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass arrived in February, it gave players the ability to return to the first Splatoon’s hub city of Inkopolis via newly added train lines. This unique way of reintroducing old areas is something Rockstar could adapt for the GTA series. Letting players return to locations from previous games would open the series up like never before, and finally deliver a feature that players have been requesting for years.
With GTA 6 featuring a much larger map than previous games, according to rumors, DLC should let players revisit their favorite locations from the past rather than just giving players more Vice City suburbs to explore. While a Splatoon-like subway line between all the series’ metro locales would stretch plausibility, even for the outlandish GTA series, Rockstar could easily find a way to reintroduce cities from past games as part of DLC for GTA 6. Letting players hop on a flight at the Vice City airport and touch down in Los Santos or Liberty City would be a game-changer for the series.
Bringing Back Grand Theft Auto's Old Cities Isn’t a New Idea
Giving old Grand Theft Auto locations a second chance in the spotlight isn’t a new idea, and it’s not just players who have floated the idea of a GTA game with multiple cities. In 2012, then-head of Rockstar North Leslie Benzies told reporters that “we would like to have one big world containing all our cities and let the player fly between them and revisit their favorite areas.” While those ambitions may have been difficult to realize on decade-old hardware, today’s powerful PCs and modern consoles could potentially make Benzies’ dream a reality.
In addition to the statements from high-profile Rockstar employees hinting at the idea of a multi-city GTA, leaks and rumors have suggested the return of some classic locations for years. Even though none came to fruition, multiple rumors in recent years suggested that GTA 4’s Liberty City is coming to GTA Online as an expansion. Whether this was a leaked plan that never saw the light of day or just rampant speculation, Rockstar has the opportunity to deliver this kind of long-requested feature with GTA 6 DLC.
DLC Could Give Classic Locations a Second Chance After the GTA Trilogy
Despite the undeniable commercial success of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, this return trip to previous locales was disappointing for many players. Fans were let down by the GTA Trilogy’s numerous bugs and questionable graphical changes. Giving iconic locations like Liberty City and Los Santos a second chance with GTA 6 DLC could right this wrong and give the classic cities love they deserve.
Judging by the ongoing rumors of classic cities making a reappearance, and wildly impressive Unreal Engine 5 remakes of Liberty City and other GTA locations designed by players, it’s clear that franchise fans want to return to their old stomping grounds. Rockstar should give gamers what they want and bring back these cities, or at least sections of them, as DLC content for GTA 6. Picking up a mission in Vice City before catching a flight to Los Santos in order to complete the criminal contract would be a thrilling expansion of the traditional formula.
While Splatoon and Grand Theft Auto couldn’t be more different in terms of content, that’s no reason Rockstar can’t take a lesson from Nintendo’s cephalopod-centric series when it comes to DLC. Reintroducing classic cities with Grand Theft Auto 6 DLC wouldn’t just be a financial win for Rockstar, it would bring the series full-circle in a unique and satisfying way.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently in development.