Grand Theft Auto 5 is set to be re-released again – this time for Playstation 5. Originally released in 2013 for Playstation 3, it has been updated and re-released on no less than eight different platforms including various iterations of Xbox and Playstation as well as for Microsoft Windows. While a lot of fans are happy to buy yet another updated copy of Grand Theft Auto 5, some players are left wondering if a sixth edition of the immensely popular series will ever be released.
Will A New Version of Grand Theft Auto Be Released Anytime Soon?
The short answer is probably not any time soon. Fans have called GTA V the best game in the series to date, and while some fans have expressed an interest in the idea of a sixth edition to the series, why would Rockstar Games bother when they still have a huge audience of people ready to buy add ons and re-releases of a game that they created almost a decade ago? On top of this, when so many people are already active users of GTA V and are ready to buy add ons to bring new elements to their game, then it doesn’t make logical sense to turn your back on that in favor of creating a new game. When the demand for GTA V does eventually slow down then they might consider creating a new game to add to the series. What we do know is that Rockstar releasing GTA V on Playstation 5 shows that there must still be a huge demand for the game and that in itself is their way of telling fans that there won’t be the sixth edition any time soon.
What Do The Fans Think?
While the lack of a sixth game in the series will frustrate some players, others aren’t nearly as bothered. Rockstar has put a lot of work into creating new content for GTA V which shows that there’s clearly still a huge customer base there, so if you’re a fan of GTA Online and multiplayer then you probably aren’t bored of GTA V yet anyway.
One of the biggest updates to ever hit GTA Online was The Cayo Perico Heist. Whereas all previous updates have taken place on the Los Santos map, Rockstar went all out last year by creating an entirely new island for the mission to take place, along with a whole host of new vehicles and clothing items. However, despite being one of the biggest updates it received some of the most critical feedback due to the huge outlay necessary on prep before you could even start the heist. Despite this, are these big island updates going to be the way forward for Rockstar?
What Updates To The Game Can We Expect?
While we haven’t seen any evidence to suggest, either way, we’re unlikely to see a new landmass for quite some time, if ever. Until the Cayo Perico Heist, all previous updates had focused on adding gameplay to the Los Santos map and this hasn’t changed since either. The most recent update involved creating a peaceful car club where users could get together and race. It’s a great move on the part of Rockstar because not only is it something that can be played repeatedly, but it’s something that only paying members can access so it potentially boosts revenue too.
Several of the previous updates have focused on adding new missions to the game and while you can replay them, it gets a little dull really quickly. Once you’ve played through the narrative missions you still have contract missions to do as many times as you would like. You can still explore the map, make money, upgrade your cars and buy new clothes but that’s not really the point of the game.
After almost ten years there isn’t that much left to do in the Los Santos map, but it’s clear that Rockstar is willing to put in the work to keep people playing one of the most popular games that they’ve ever released. Over the last few years, there has been an average of three new releases per year – just enough to keep paying members interested!
What Does This Mean Long-Term?
If you ask any fans of the game they’ll tell you that It seems, for now, there’d be more chance of winning one of the lotteries available in California than the sequel to Los Santos coming out anytime soon – which is saying something. Most fans are resigned to the fact that this release means that Grand Theft Auto 6 isn’t on the horizon or due to be appearing anytime soon. Instead, they’re getting to grips with the updates and various online versions of the game that is available to help keep things interesting. Statistically, the game is still proving massively popular and it might well be the popularity of Grand Theft Auto 5 that is driving Rockstar Games to leave it around and relevant for as long as possible. Maybe, once it waivers in popularity things will change and we’ll see a new version of the game. But the initial trailers have not done much to silence the vocal critics who were not convinced by the promised enhancements shown for the new consoles.
Realistically, as long as people keep paying for memberships, buying addons, and pre-ordering the re-released game each time it comes to a new console then we won’t see a Grand Theft Auto Six any time soon. It simply doesn’t make good business sense to turn your back on something that’s making money in order to release something new when in reality not all of those fans will go over to the sixth edition if they’re still enjoying the fifth. It makes sense to keep releasing content for the loyal GTA V fans. Equally, as long as Rockstar Games keep releasing new content fans will continue to be loyal to the fifth game in the series. It’s a game of cat and mouse for Rockstar and the GTA franchise, but for now, you should probably carry on playing GTA V because the sixth installment isn’t being released any time soon.
