'Grand Theft Auto VI' release date, rumors: Big game map to include all popular cities in the US; Rockstar expected to unveil first teaser this year

A screenshot from the popular Rockstar game "GTA V"Facebook/grandtheftautoV

Rockstar Games has yet to confirm the development of "Grand Theft Auto VI" ("GTA VI"), although the rumors are rife that the much-awaited "GTA" installment will be released soon. For now, the new sequel is expected to go bigger in terms of the gameplay and map. Per a former Rockstar executive, the map to be featured in "GTA VI" could encompass all the popular cities in the United States. If ever, the banner cities featured in previous "GTA" titles could also be revisited.

According to the latest reports, former Rockstar Games president Leslie Benzies revealed in an interview that the team in charge of the possible "Grand Theft Auto" sequel is looking forward to introduce "one big world," covering all the cities popularized by the "GTA" franchise throughout the years. Some of the cities that might return in the sequel are San Andreas and Vice City. The team's vision has the players being able to fly across all of these cities, showing just how big "Grand Theft Auto VI" is going to be. 

Benzies did not talk much about the new storyline and gameplay mechanics of "Grand Theft Auto VI," although it is highly speculated that the new title could introduce the first-ever female protagonist of the "GTA" series. In an interview with Develop, Benzies said that the team has a few ideas for "GTA VI," but there is no guarantee that these ideas will make it to the actual game.

Meanwhile, it is rumored that Rockstar may finally release the first official teaser of "Grand Theft Auto VI" later this year. The sneak peek could also confirm the release date of the game title. It is likely that the studio will make the big announcement at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which will run from June 12 to 14. However, a reputable game analyst argues that Rockstar could not afford to launch a giant title so soon after the expected release of "Red Dead Redemption 2" in 2018. The best estimate for the "Grand Theft Auto VI" release is sometime between 2020 and 2021.