Ex-Rockstar Dev: No More GTA 6 Trailers, Hype Sufficient

As anticipation builds for more news on Grand Theft Auto 6 following the release of Trailer 1 in December 2023, a former Rockstar developer has suggested that no additional trailers should be released before the game's launch.

Rockstar released GTA 6 Trailer 1 to record-breaking viewership in December 2023, but has not shared any further assets since. This prolonged wait has sparked a variety of conspiracy theories among fans, including analyzing counting the holes in Lucia’s cell door net, bullet holes in the car from Trailer 1, and vehicle registration plates. Perhaps the most notable theory is the ongoing "moon watch," which accurately predicted the announcement date of Trailer 1, though it was later debunked as a hint at the release date for Trailer 2.

So, when will GTA 6 Trailer 2 be released? Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has hinted that fans might have to wait until closer to the game’s release date, currently slated for fall 2025, for the next glimpse of the highly anticipated title.

However, former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij, who worked on the series up until Grand Theft Auto 4 and left the company nine months after its launch in 2008, expressed a different view. He tweeted, "If it was my call I wouldn’t release any additional trailers. There is more than enough hype around VI and the element of surprise is going to make the release only bigger as an event." In response to a user suggesting Rockstar might simply announce the release date without further trailers, Vermeij called it "a boss move."

Despite the first trailer being labeled as "GTA 6 Trailer 1," suggesting more trailers are planned, plans can change. Rockstar might prioritize finalizing the game over releasing another trailer that would be meticulously analyzed by fans.

Vermeij also shared insights from his experience, noting that Rockstar delayed GTA 4 in July 2007, just three months before its intended October 16, 2007 release date. He suggested that a similar "decision day" for GTA 6 might occur around Take-Two's August earnings report.

99 Details in the GTA 6 Trailer - Slideshow

View 51 ImagesIn an interview with Bloomberg in March, Zelnick discussed the secrecy around GTA 6's release date, stating, "The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property... We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. And we do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. And we found that the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement on the one hand and balance the excitement with unmet anticipation. We don’t always get it exactly right, but that’s what we are trying to do."

Mike York, a former animator at Rockstar New England who contributed to Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 before leaving in 2017, shared on his YouTube channel that Rockstar is intentionally fueling conspiracy theories by remaining silent about the game and the release of Trailer 2. He explained, "They're reaching and pulling and trying to come up with these really cool theories to decipher when the next trailer will be... Specifically Rockstar, they're very secretive about what they do, and this is a really cool tactic because it creates allure and it creates mystery and it creates people talking about it without them having to do anything. The more they're silent the better it is, because the more people will be antsy and want to talk about it and have this feeling of not knowing what's going to happen."

York further noted that Rockstar's silence is a deliberate marketing strategy to keep fans engaged and speculating, which only adds to the game's hype and mystery.

Zelnick's comments suggest that GTA 6 Trailer 2, if it is released, might not be seen until closer to the game's fall 2025 release date, assuming no delays occur. As fans eagerly await more news, they can explore IGN's coverage on various related topics, including an ex-Rockstar dev's prediction about potential delays, Zelnick's thoughts on the future of GTA Online post-GTA 6, and expert opinions on the performance of GTA 6 on the PS5 Pro.