I've been waiting years for this game and I have mixed feelings
Let me be honest: I've been playing GTA since I was 12. GTA San Andreas changed how I understood video games. GTA V literally stole weeks of my life when it launched. So when Rockstar dropped the GTA 6 trailer in December 2023, it was one of those moments where you stop everything you're doing and stand there with your jaw on the floor.
But after the initial hype, I started thinking. And I have a lot to say.
What the trailer confirmed
The GTA 6 trailer ran for less than 2 minutes and became the most-viewed video in the first 24 hours in YouTube history at that point. That says something on its own.
What Rockstar confirmed:
Lucia as the main protagonist. Yes, GTA finally has a female lead in the mainline game. And it doesn't look like a gimmick — the trailer's narrative clearly positions her as the center of the story. For me, that's refreshing. The series needed to evolve.
Vice City as the setting. Florida-inspired, cartoonish, exaggerated, and vibrant. Vice City in a modern context has enormous narrative potential: social media, influencers, cartels, drug trafficking, mass tourism. Rockstar has always been brilliant at satirizing American culture, and 2026 has no shortage of material.
The visual fidelity. I won't lie, what the trailer showed was cinematic. Water, hair, reflections, character animations — all at a level no other sandbox has reached. If the final game looks like that, it's a real generational leap.
What gives me doubts
But I'll be honest about what worries me, because hype can make us forget to think critically.
The price. GTA V cost $60 in 2013. Today's AAA games are running $70-80, and some publishers are already talking about $100 for "premium" titles. GTA 6 is going to be the most expensive title in industry history in terms of development — reportedly over $2 billion budget. How are they going to recover that investment? I really hope it's not through aggressive microtransactions like GTA Online ended up becoming.
GTA Online. This is my biggest fear. GTA V essentially became a vehicle to sell Shark Cards. The online mode dominated so much that the single-player experience was completely abandoned — there was never any story DLC. If Rockstar repeats that with GTA 6, they'll have half their audience disappointed.
The 2022 leak. That massive leak revealed a lot of the in-development game. Even though years have passed, some of the leaked gameplay looked repetitive in certain aspects. I trust Rockstar has polished it enormously, but the doubt lingers.
My personal list of what I want to see
As a gamer and someone who genuinely loves narrative in games, I have specific requests:
A story that surprises. GTA V had three protagonists but the narrative never fully integrated them well. I want Lucia's story to be as memorable as CJ's, as Niko Bellic's in GTA IV — characters you care about because they have depth.
Real consequences in the open world. Every GTA promises a "living world" but most decisions are cosmetic. I want my actions to change the state of the world in ways that actually matter.
Less grinding in online. If the multiplayer exists, make it accessible without needing to pay or grind 40 hours to access basic content.
Missions with real variety. GTA V had very linear missions disguised as open world. I want missions with multiple approaches, different consequences, decisions that matter.
Why GTA 6 matters beyond gaming
Something that doesn't get said enough: GTA isn't just a video game. It's a cultural artifact. Every entry has captured the zeitgeist of its era in a way that few entertainment works manage. San Andreas spoke to 90s Los Angeles, immigration, and the broken American dream. GTA IV was a ruthless critique of the American dream through the eyes of an Eastern European immigrant.
What is GTA 6 going to say about the mid-2020s world? Social media, polarization, mass surveillance, influencer culture, the rise of Latin American organized crime in Florida — there's so much material that Rockstar could either destroy or turn into something truly brilliant.
That's what intrigues me most. Not the graphics. Not the gameplay. But what story they want to tell.
My final take
I'm optimistic but cautious. Rockstar has earned enough credibility through decades of work to deserve the benefit of the doubt. But they've also shown with GTA Online that when there's money involved, priorities shift.
I'll buy the game. Probably day one if reviews are good. But I'll wait to see how they handle the monetization model before getting too excited.
The potential is there. The story could be epic. I just hope Rockstar doesn't get stuck chasing online revenue when they have in their hands the opportunity to make the best story ever told in a video game.
In the meantime, I'll keep watching the trailer every couple months as a ritual.