Rockstar has spent more than eight years developing Grand Theft Auto 6, but the studio hopes its next project will arrive considerably faster. Speaking to Bloomberg, Rockstar's head of development Phil Hooker explained how the company expanded its team and developed its technology for the hotly anticipated upcoming game, and how that'll make it easier to build future releases.
Hooker said the studio expects to benefit from the foundations established during the lengthy production of GTA 6. "The engine, the tools, and the team we've built during this project will allow us to do things more quickly," he explained.
He added that Rockstar wants to focus on expanding what it has already created rather than continually rebuilding its technology. "I feel confident that we can build on top of this and go more sideways than upwards to build more compelling content," he explained.
The approach should help Rockstar avoid another extended wait between major releases. GTA 5 launched in 2013, followed by Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018. GTA 6, meanwhile, is scheduled to arrive on November 19, 2026, following a series of delays. Its development has seen significant changes to Rockstar's structure, with the company growing from 2,441 employees around the release of RDR2, to 4,711 staff across 12 offices.
There is a precedent for Rockstar building a new game relatively quickly by reusing existing technology. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City followed GTA 3 in less than a year. Rockstar's leadership hopes the studio can take a similar approach to future projects now that so much of the GTA 6 groundwork is complete.
Of course, Rockstar hasn't announced its next major game yet. The comments also don't confirm that the next title in the Grand Theft Auto series will arrive quickly, especially considering the scale of the studio's ambitions. Still, the systems built for GTA 6 will help Rockstar spend less time solving technical problems.
For now, Rockstar's attention understandably remains on GTA 6. The game is expected to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, with analysts predicting tens of millions of sales during its first few months.