Faster Future Releases
Rockstar Games might not keep fans waiting as long for the next installment of Grand Theft Auto. As part of a recent report on the making of GTA VI, Rockstar technical lead Phil Hooker said that the engine, tools, and team built during this project will allow the company to operate more quickly.
We might not have to wait 13 years for the next GTA
Rockstar’s Phil Hooker says the engine and tools that the team has built will allow the studio to do things more quickly.
GTA VI had a notoriously long development process. It took eight years to make, leaving a 13-year gap between this upcoming installment and GTA V.
The report points to the one-year gap between Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which was possible because Rockstar already had the framework in place for its next project. Hooker expressed confidence that the studio can build on top of GTA VI to create more compelling content efficiently.
Behind the Development
The report also revealed several other details regarding the studio's operations and the game's production hurdles.
Rockstar built a studio dedicated to creating nonplayable characters after realizing it lacked the production capabilities needed to write and animate all of the game's NPCs, which contributed to a schedule shift.
Publishing head Jennifer Kolbe also shut down speculation that the game cost more than $1.5 billion to develop.
Head of development Aaron Garbut reflected on the massive 2022 leak, describing the experience of seeing early work exposed as invasive and difficult to deal with on an emotional level.
Since 2018, the number of Rockstar employees has risen from 2,441 to 4,711 across 12 offices.
Launch Details
GTA VI launches on November 19th on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S.
