Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 hasn't even been officially confirmed, but already some fans are worried that GTA 6 may end up being PS5 exclusive. The recent acquisition of ZeniMax by Microsoft has sparked much debate about what game development studios Sony should purchase in order to shore up its first-party lineup, and some players are worried this could mean upcoming titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 could end up being Xbox and PC exclusive.
The companies in question haven't given much in the way of concrete information about future exclusivity, and it seems that, for the time being, Microsoft will be determining what ZeniMax Media games will have cross-platform releases on a "case by case" basis. While this doesn't mean for certain that future DOOM games or The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be exclusive to Microsoft products, it does give fans some hope. However, because of past reveals and new teases, some fans think GTA 6 may not come to Xbox Series X|S at all.
If GTA 6 is exclusive to the PS5, that would both be a major win for Sony and a major blow to Xbox players. Although Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas started out as exclusive PS2 titles, they were later ported to Xbox consoles, and the series' next main entries, Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V, both released to PlayStation and Xbox players. It would be a major shift in recent sensibilities of Rockstar was to make GTA 6 PS5 exclusive, but it wouldn't be entirely unprecedented.
Why GTA Fans Think GTA 6 Could Be PS5 Exclusive
According to Twitter user @foxygames_uk, who Dexerto calls an "industry insider," players can look forward to some sort of partnership between Sony and Rockstar Games after Grand Theft Auto V releases on next-gen consoles in 2021. This deal is said to involve the next Grand Theft Auto title, but does not go into any more detail or provide a source for the information. Check out the tweet here:
While it's possible Sony and Rockstar have reached an agreement for Grand Theft Auto 6 PS5 exclusivity, it isn't likely. Grand Theft Auto V has been a massive success partly due to its accessibility - the title is available on both last-gen and current-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as on multiple PC storefronts. The amount of revenue Rockstar Games would be poised to lose by taking away the ability to play GTA 6 from Xbox Series X owners is likely far greater than any amount of money Sony could offer. Grand Theft Auto Online and GTA 5 are some of the most profitable pieces of entertainment of all time, and Rockstar's continued success with Red Dead Redemption 2 proves they don't need to take money from a console developer to ensure their games get finished and funded properly.
Just because GTA 5 on next-gen consoles was revealed at a Sony PS5 Showcase doesn't mean future titles will be exclusive to PlayStation. Interestingly, however, in the past Microsoft did reportedly pay an undisclosed amount of money to Rockstar in order to keep Grand Theft Auto IV's DLC Xbox-exclusive for a pre-determined length of time. If Sony and Rockstar do actually have a deal in the works, it's much more likely that some sort of DLC or online content for Grand Theft Auto 6 will become temporarily (or permanently) exclusive to the PS5, rather than the game itself. However, until information is officially revealed by Rockstar Games or Sony, players will just have to speculate.
Sources: foxygames_uk/Twitter (via Dexerto), Eurogamer