Much like the lead-up to the release of the last game, the next iteration of the Grand Theft Auto series has been the focal point of a lot of rumors. Though the next title hasn't been confirmed by Rockstar Games, unverified reports and rumors have been doing the rounds online for several years. Grand Theft Auto 5 was originally released in 2013, and it's due to receive a new version for PS5 and Xbox Series X later on in 2021. One of the most prevalent rumors related to GTA 6 is "Project Americas," a supposed codename for the next main entry in the franchise.
Most Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks have been related to its map and location. Rockstar Games hasn't said anything about the next Grand Theft Auto game, with its silence possibly owing to the continued success of GTA 5. Insiders regularly debunk Grand Theft Auto 6 rumors, and it's hard to say if any of these unverified claims so far could have an element of truth. One of the most popular fan theories, called "Project Americas," relates to the map of GTA 6 and the overall size of the game world. This rumor has been quashed, for the most part, however, it's not hard to see how Project Americas could work as a live service game, potentially as a progression of GTA Online.
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The Grand Theft Auto Project Americas rumor is one of the most popular theories about the next GTA title. Project Americas is a reported codename of the project, and it also encapsulates rumors about the map. The rumor suggests that the next Grand Theft Auto will feature several cities, most notably Vice City and a new South American city. The map is said to be massive, with some rumors suggesting that it contains the Grand Theft Auto 5 map within it.
As per this rumor, the story of GTA 6 reportedly revolves around a character named Ricardo, who is based in Vice City in the 1980s. In a departure from what was seen in GTA 5, this game supposedly has only one protagonist. As with all rumors, any unverified information related to Grand Theft Auto 6 should be taken with a grain of salt. Rockstar Games hasn't confirmed the existence of the next iteration of the series, and there are no signs of an announcement coming soon. The Project Americas rumor, however, sounds like it could be a perfect fit for a Grand Theft Auto live service game.
Rockstar Games is already pursuing live service elements with the wildly successful GTA Online multiplayer mode. Grand Theft Auto Online receives consistent updates and new content to keep players engaged with the platform. This is one of the core tenets of a live service game, and Rockstar has found great success with this model already. GTA Online continues to be extremely popular, and this could be partly attributed to Rockstar's ability to keep players hooked into GTA Online with fresh content.
While GTA might not necessarily need a live service game, it's easy to imagine how Project Americas could be adapted into one. One of the biggest advantages Rockstar would have with building a live service game is the existence of its multiple fictional Grand Theft Auto cities.
This could provide the developer with an easy method of bringing new life into the game progressively. Starting players off in the rumored Vice City setting of Project Americas could keep players occupied for some time before the need arises to add fresh content. Rockstar would have the likes of Los Santos and the rumored new South American setting at its disposal to open up the game and keep players engaged.
Similar to how expansions have been released for the Destiny series, Rockstar could add new cities as major expansions every year. Along with a new city, a host of new missions, activities, and tasks unique to that location could come with it. A new storyline per city would make sense, in addition to side missions that add to the flavor of the location. Vice City, for example, is renowned in-game for its gangs and its vice crimes, so missions related to these illicit activities would make thematic sense and embellish the setting. Releasing cities in chunks like this and adding side content related to it could be very successful and keep the game alive for a long time.
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Something common in live service games and already being done in GTA Online is limited-time events. Limited-time events would allow players to complete bonus objectives to gain extra experience or other rewards that might not be obtainable otherwise. In a live service Project Americas game, Rockstar could run these frequently to keep gameplay fresh and allow players to gain unique rewards.
Another common element in live services games is season passes. Grand Theft Auto Online has had a lot of DLC content, but Rockstar has so far elected not to use season passes. In a live service version of GTA, expansions could potentially be much larger and feature more content, and a season pass could be a way for gamers to save some money. Rather than buying each city-based expansion individually, a season pass would make purchasing DLC a bit more efficient and cheaper. While this model of monetization isn't the most popular with some gamers, it's commonplace in live service games, and it could happen in a proposed GTA games-as-a-service title.
As with all Grand Theft Auto 6 rumors, Project Americas should be taken with a grain of salt. Rumors have been doing the rounds for years about the next GTA title, and nothing has been officially announced related to it. While Project Americas is an unverified leak that's likely to be false, it could fit a live service game well. Rockstar's variety of cities could add a lot to the title, and it could be seen as the next step in the GTA Online experience. It's hard to know what Rockstar Games has up its sleeve, and a live service game wouldn't be entirely outside the realm of possibility.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC, and it's set for release in PS5 and Xbox Series X on November 11, 2021.