Highlights
- The Grand Theft Auto community is speculating about the release date of GTA 6 based on a tweet from developer Rockstar Games featuring moon phases and the Roman numeral for six.
- While fans were expecting a teaser during the GTA 5 10th Anniversary Celebration, Rockstar's tweet has sparked even more speculation about the future of GTA 6 and its connection to the moon.
- Despite the lack of concrete information from Rockstar, fans are eagerly anticipating an official announcement for GTA 6 and continue to analyze the developer's social media posts for any clues.
The Grand Theft Auto community spent the month of September 2023 celebrating the 10th Anniversary of GTA 5, as part of an event hosted by developer Rockstar Games. However, a post on the developer's X page, formerly Twitter, quickly transitioned the discussion to the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto 6. The post was quite simple, portraying a pair of GTA avatars facing the camera on a moonlit night, with some letters from the VINEWOOD sign and the moon providing backlight. Fans were quickly sent into an investigative frenzy, as the letters formed the Roman numeral for six. Since then, fans have been theorizing about the connection between GTA 6 and the phases of the Moon. Many fans believe that finding the connection will reveal the game's release date, giving rise to the GTA 6 Moon Phases Theory.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is shrouded in mystery, despite being in development for quite some time. While Rockstar Games periodically teases the game's existence, its public focus has remained on GTA 5 and GTA Online. Both titles continue to flourish, a full decade after their initial release. The developer's Moon tweet feels different to fans, however, as it arrives after a capstone celebration for the GTA 5. This timing has many fans believing that the tweet could be the first sign of a shift of focus toward the future, with the connection between GTA 6 and the Moon providing its first concrete information.
GTA 6's Moon Phase Theory Explained
Fans' efforts to relate GTA 6's announcement with the Moon may seem like a desperate move at first, but one look at the developer's tweet makes the connection seem likely. The post is very simple, with its illuminated letters and enlarged moon drawing equal attention against a dark and empty background. In addition, the very specific and highly detailed phase of the moon, a Waning Gibbous at roughly 85%, seems extremely important. This information has led fans to scour the calendar for dates on which this Moon phase will appear, with many believing that one provides the dates for GTA 6's official announcement.
The Moon post was released in late September, leading fans to believe that GTA 6's announcement would come as soon as October 3, 2023, the first Waning Gibbous following Rockstar's tease. However, that date has since passed, and the developer shows no signs of announcing the game. This lack of evidence has not deterred fans. Rather, all eyes have turned to Wednesday, November 1, as that night on which the next Waning Gibbous will appear. It seems that fans are prepared to continue this process until an announcement actually occurs.
GTA 6 Remains One of Gaming's Biggest Mysteries
Rockstar's September 2023 tease of GTA 6 is the latest in a long line of strange and unrelated hints at the long-awaited title. While the post is absolutely a nod toward GTA 6, its purpose beyond that remains to be seen. It's possible that Rockstar is aware of many fans' belief that the title would be teased during the GTA 5 10th Anniversary Celebration, and chose to release the tweet as a form of recognition. If so, its intentions may have backfired, as the timing provided fans' most recent theory with more rationale than any before it.
The very nature of Grand Theft Auto 6 remains unknown. Aside from GTA 6's early gameplay leak in 2022, fans have received no concrete information surrounding the title. In fact, Rockstar has yet to confirm that Grand Theft Auto 6 is the game's official title, as it could be released with a subtitle like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas or GTA: Vice City. Until Rockstar provides an official announcement for its forthcoming title, fans remain glued to its mysterious social media posts, while keeping a steady eye on the sky.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.