GTA VI: Rumor reportedly reveals the time period

We might be going back to Vice City, but not in its glory days. GTA 6 is reportedly sticking with a modern day setting.

Even for casual gamers, the name Grand Theft Auto rings a bell. The franchise certainly has a legacy, and likely lives in infamy amongst parents. That doesn't mean it isn't successful though, as the franchise is one of the biggest in all the gaming industry. 

Being one of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, one would think that it wouldn't go nearly eight years without a new entry. Yet, it's already 2021, and there isn't a sequel in sight. Instead, Rockstar has leaned almost exclusively on their online components, only easing up to release Red Dead Redemption 2 five years later.

Well known leaker Tom Henderson, who has previously leaked information about Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty, has stated that GTA 6 will be set in the modern day, rather than the 1980s setting which some people had been hoping for. When asked by someone on Twitter, Henderson retweeted their question and simply said It’s not set in the 1980s and is modern.

It's not set in the 1980's and is modern. https://t.co/iav46Ty35V

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) April 12, 2021

 Henderson has been behind a few recent GTA rumors before, including one teasing the first female main character in the franchise.

The '80s has been long rumored to be the time period for the sixth entry. A change like this would sure be something different for the franchise. Like it or not, though, it would seem that the prospect of an '80s adventure is all but dead. 

It makes sense that GTA 6 will opt for a modern day setting, rather than jumping back to the 80s like GTA Vice City. This is because many of GTA V and GTA Online’s current systems revolve around modern day technology like smartphones and the internet. We can’t imagine Rockstar would be keen to scrap everything it’s built up in GTA Online, considering it’s still one of the most popular games on Earth.

We’re not expecting to see GTA 6 cropping up anytime soon though, as a recent Kotaku report noted that the game was still in early development in 2020, and GTA games typically have long development cycles.