GTA 6’s Huge Leak Makes It Exhausting To Play GTA On-line In 2023

Final 12 months, footage of the subsequent Grand Theft Auto—assumed to be GTA 6—leaked on-line. Whereas Rockstar shortly tried to erase the movies from the web and plug the holes within the ship, it was unattainable to fully comprise such a large, unprecedented leak. So followers all over the world acquired an excellent have a look at the way forward for Grand Theft Auto. And now myself and others discover it onerous to return to the ageing GTA On-line.

Late on September 19, 2022, 90 brief movies of early gameplay of what would later be confirmed by Rockstar as the subsequent GTA entry leaked on-line through a hacker. The footage revealed so much in regards to the subsequent recreation within the massively widespread open-world franchise, together with that the sequence could be returning to Vice Metropolis, Florida, a fan-favorite location final seen in GTA: Vice Metropolis Tales, the prequel to the beloved PS2 traditional, GTA: Vice Metropolis. It additionally gave us an excellent have a look at the brand new protagonists of this subsequent felony journey and a few of the missions we would expertise when GTA 6 is ultimately launched. Followers even started mapping out the sport’s digital world utilizing the leaks.

Rockstar undoubtedly hates the leak and sure needs it may rewind time and stop it from ever occurring in any respect, however it did find yourself revitalizing the playerbase. For the primary time in a very long time, there was pleasure and power within the GTA neighborhood, which after years of GTA On-line updates and poorly obtained remasters was in a fairly dangerous place previous to the leak. Even an early, unfinished or unpolished leak of GTA 6 was higher than radio silence and glitchy remasters. Folks have been pumped and hyped about the way forward for Grand Theft Auto in a approach I hadn’t seen in years.

However then, as soon as the leaks have been scrubbed from the online and it turned clear Rockstar wasn’t going to launch any official teaser or trailer to capitalize on the second, all I and different GTA followers may do was return to GTA On-line. And that’s more durable to do now that I’ve seen the long run.

The most recent large and free enlargement to GTA On-line, Los Santos Drug Struggles, was launched late final 12 months at a extremely dangerous time for me to play and canopy it for the location. So I simply…didn’t play it. For the primary time ever within the historical past of GTA On-line, I skipped a brand new replace fully. I’ve nonetheless not performed it. At first, I blamed my skipping of the most recent replace on dangerous timing and a busy schedule attributable to holidays and end-of-the-year content material. However now, weeks faraway from all that, with extra free time to play stuff, I’ve nonetheless not fired up the brand new replace. And I feel it’s time to confess to myself that my rising burnout round GTA On-line was elevated significantly by that small style of what’s to come back. That have a look at the way forward for GTA in Florida ruined me.

I may return and drive across the identical highways and streets of Los Santos I’ve been cruising round since 2013. I may fireplace up the sport and take a look at the latest enterprise and missions related to it. I may, positive. The factor is, I don’t know if I need to. I imply, ultimately, I’ll play extra GTA On-line. I type of should because it’s a part of my job right here at Kotaku. But, if it wasn’t a part of my profession there’s an actual probability that I’d simply by no means play GTA On-line once more.

To be clear: It’s not as a result of GTA On-line is worse at this time than it was a decade in the past—it’s really significantly better to play in 2023 than in 2013—however as a result of getting a glimpse of a recent new world has killed my need besides up the identical outdated Los Santos after a decade of GTA On-line and GTA V. I imply, simply having new songs on the radio will likely be superb. I like Queen’s “Radio Ga-Ga” however you may solely hear it so many occasions in 10 years earlier than you’re prepared for brand spanking new tunes, too.

At this level, I’m hoping the look ahead to Grand Theft Auto 6 and its sunny seashores, palm timber, and new characters isn’t an excessive amount of longer, as a result of I’m prepared to go away Los Santos behind for a tropical trip to Vice Metropolis.