'GTA VI' rumors: Predictions point to game being under development but no release date yet

Promotional image for "GTA V," one of the games on sale in the PlayStation StorePlayStation Store

The next big "Grand Theft Auto" ("GTA") game, "GTA VI," might not be arriving anytime soon though the game being in development is certain, as is suggested by critics.

GameRadar is quite sure that "GTA 6" is now underway, though its developer and publisher, Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive, are definitely taking their time with the new game. Right now, there are still no details regarding the game, particularly what the next big living and breathing city setting will be, which is the star of each game ever since it was conceived.

Speculations and predictions should be taken with a grain of salt, however, since Rockstar is apparently still busy with "Red Dead Redemption 2," another open-world AAA game that shares the same quality scale as the "GTA" franchise but is set during the Western Frontiers era of the United States. For all fans know, this could mean that "GTA VI" will not be announced before the release of "Red Dead Redemption 2," which is still quite a few months away.

Other sources claim that "GTA VI" will not be released earlier than the year 2020, meaning it may have an announcement date of late 2018 or early 2019, still a long while off. At the latest, gaming industry analyst Michael Patcher predicts that "GTA VI" will arrive on 2022, meaning it might get announced as late as 2020, further pushing the expected date for "GTA VI."

"I'll take over/under in 2022. I say it comes out after 2022. Remember, 'Red Dead Redemption 2' comes out eight years after the first one- so the idea that 'GTA 6' comes out before 2021 seems ridiculous. And Rockstar, the only announcements they've ever made more than a year before launch was because the launch itself was delayed. So best case, 'GTA 6' gets announced in 2020 for a 2021 release," predicted Patcher.

With the ongoing strong sales of the online aspect of "GTA V," "GTA Online," it may also be a while before Rockstar plans a replacement for the thriving system. For now, the best that fans can do is to continue playing "GTA Online," or wait for "Red Dead Redemption 2."