An employee at Rockstar Games might have just leaked information about an unannounced game, prompting a firestorm of speculation over the weekend. It has been known for some time that the beloved developer of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 has a new project in the works, but Rockstar has remained silent about what it could be.
The most requested title from fans has been Grand Theft Auto VI, as the internet has been rife with rumors and speculation regarding the next installment of the studio's famous open-world crime franchise. From data mining games like Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Redemption 2 for hidden GTA VI easter eggs to map rumors speculating on the game's setting, players waiting for the next GTA experience have been hanging onto every scrap of information possibly signaling that the sequel is on the way. However, Rockstar has tried to assure fans that it's going to be some time before GTA VI arrives, and a recent leak from inside the company suggests that its next game might be something else altogether.
Comicbook.com reports that Ian Gander, a senior designer at Rockstar Games for nearly 10 years, accidentally let slip that he was working on a new game on his LinkedIn page yesterday. He eventually removed this mistake, which read "unannounced title(s): TBC," but enough people saw it to start up rumors about Rockstar’s next game. Nothing specific was mentioned, but since it’s unlikely for the studio to keep Grand Theft Auto VI cryptically untitled (given that everyone already knows it’s going to happen eventually), fans are speculating that Gander was referencing a different game entirely. The most hoped for candidates being the long-awaited Bully 2, a Manhunt sequel/reboot, or an entirely new IP altogether.
Rockstar has indeed been preparing itself for new projects over the past few months, as it recently acquired Crackdown 2 developer Ruffian games back in October. In the meantime, Rockstar has enjoyed a successful year in 2020 thanks to Grand Theft Auto Online, which saw a record-breaking uptick in players due to such events as a spontaneous in-game alien gang war and the Epic Games Store offering up Grand Theft Auto V for free back in May.
Still, Rockstar Games is looking to the future as it continues this wave of success well into 2021, but it seems to remain keen on keeping its upcoming plans under wraps for the time being. Although Gander’s short-lived leak revealed virtually nothing about what the company has in store for fans, the idea of the titan of the gaming industry having new experiences in the works aside from the expected Grand Theft Auto VI is an exciting prospect, especially if the game in question turns out to be a return to one of the studio's more neglected franchises.
Source: Comicbook.com