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

As anticipation continues to build for more news on Grand Theft Auto 6 following the release of Trailer 1 in 2023, a former Rockstar developer has expressed his view that no further trailers should be released before the game's launch.

Rockstar released GTA 6 Trailer 1 to record-breaking viewership in December 2023, yet no additional assets have been shared since. The prolonged wait has sparked numerous conspiracy theories about the release of GTA 6 Trailer 2, including analyzing counting the holes in Lucia’s cell door net, the bullet holes in the car from Trailer 1, and even registration plates. The most notable theory, the ongoing moon watch, accurately predicted the announcement date of GTA 6 Trailer 1 but was 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 may need to wait until close to GTA 6’s release date in the fall of 2025 for another glimpse. However, former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij, who contributed to the series until Grand Theft Auto 4 in 2008, stated that if it were his decision, he would not release any more trailers.

"If it was my call I wouldn’t release any additional trailers," Vermeij tweeted. "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 query about whether Rockstar might announce just the GTA 6 release date, Vermeij replied, "It would be a boss move."

Rockstar's decision to label the first trailer as GTA 6 Trailer 1 suggests that more numbered trailers could be expected. Yet, plans can change, and Rockstar may prefer to focus on finalizing the game rather than releasing another trailer that would be intensely scrutinized.

Vermeij shared that Rockstar delayed GTA 4 in July 2007, just three months before its initial October 16, 2007 release date, and speculated that a similar "decision day" for GTA 6 might occur. "Only at that time did it become clear we were going to miss the deadline," Vermeij explained. "I’m guessing decision-day for VI will be similar. Fingers crossed for Take2’s August earnings report."

99 Details in the GTA 6 Trailer - Slideshow

View 51 ImagesIn a March interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick addressed why GTA 6’s release date is kept under wraps: “The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property," he said. "And I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve been in every entertainment business there is.

“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 worked on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 until 2017, suggested on his YouTube channel that Rockstar is intentionally fueling conspiracy theories and speculation by not disclosing any information about the game or the release of Trailer 2.

“They're reaching and pulling and trying to come up with these really cool theories to decipher when the next trailer will be,” he said about fans.

“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.”

Will You Continue to Play GTA Online When GTA 6 Comes Out? ----------------------------------------------------------

Yes! I'm happy with the original GTA OnlineNo! Time to move on to whatever's nextIt depends (tell us why in the comments!)

AnswerSee ResultsYork believes that Rockstar's silence is a deliberate strategy to increase anticipation and discussion among fans. “They could easily release the trailer date and be like, ‘Hey this is when the trailer's coming out,’ but they don't do it. And they don't do it on purpose because it's a really, really good marketing tactic. If you think about it, it creates these really cool theories.

“This brings the fans together. This is a really cool way to get fans to talk about your game when you’re not releasing anything yet, in-between the times.

“All these theories are great. They only create hype, they create talk, they create mystery behind the games.”

Zelnick's comments indicate that GTA 6 Trailer 2, if it exists, might not be released until closer to the game’s anticipated release in fall 2025, barring any delays. This means fans may have to wait a while longer for another glimpse of the game.

While waiting for GTA 6, explore IGN's coverage on an ex-Rockstar developer's prediction that the studio probably won’t be able to decide whether GTA 6 is delayed until May 2025, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick’s response to concern about the fate of GTA Online once GTA 6 comes out, and expert opinions on whether the PS5 Pro will run GTA 6 at 60 frames per second.