Rockstar are “confident” that GTA 7 won’t take another eight years, despite similar promises of greater efficiency seemingly having come with Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar leaders say the tools, engine and team built for GTA 6 should help the studio make future games more quickly, and they are confident GTA 7 will not take another eight years. The claim matters because Rockstar previously made similar arguments about work on Red Dead Redemption 2 helping later projects, yet GTA 6 has still taken years to develop.
Development head Phil Hooker said future work could build on what the studio has made and expand in more directions, while Aaron Garbut said Rockstar had fundamentally changed many things for GTA 6 but would not dismantle them afterwards. The article notes that Rockstar concentrated much of its staff on finishing Red Dead Redemption 2, pushing GTA 6 back several years, and questions whether bigger, more detailed games can be made substantially faster. It also says Rockstar faces employment tribunal proceedings after dismissing 34 staff, a dispute involving allegations about leaks and union busting.
- Rockstar expects GTA 6’s tools and team to speed up future games.
- Similar hopes around Red Dead Redemption 2 did not prevent delays to GTA 6.
- The studio is also facing a dispute over 34 staff dismissals.
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Rockstar Games is the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series. Its games are large, detailed open-world adventures, and making them can take years. Red Dead Redemption 2 came out in 2018; GTA 6 is the next main game in the Grand Theft Auto series.
For GTA 6, Rockstar has developed new tools, technology and ways of working. Studio leaders say these could be reused and adapted for later games, including GTA 7, rather than having to start from scratch. Rockstar has made similar arguments about earlier games, while work on Red Dead Redemption 2 drew staff away from GTA 6.
The issue matters to players because development time affects how long they wait for new games, and ambitious projects may require years of work. Rockstar is also facing tribunal proceedings after dismissing 34 staff, in a dispute involving claims about leaks and union busting.
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The case for
Rockstar’s confidence may be grounded in concrete gains: GTA 6 has required new tools, engine work and production methods that future teams can reuse, while expanding them instead of starting again. With that foundation and an experienced team, GTA 7 could take less time even if it aims for greater scale and detail.
The case against
Past experience gives reason to doubt that reusable technology will translate into a much shorter schedule: Rockstar made similar efficiency arguments around Red Dead Redemption 2, yet GTA 6 has still taken years and was delayed while staff focused on that game. Ambitious projects bring new creative and technical demands, and the reported employment dispute could also complicate the studio’s ability to retain or organise its workforce.