After years of speculations and rumors, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI has debuted—albeit with a few road bumps along the way. The trailer was initially leaked a day before its planned release, which forced Rockstar’s hand to reveal it early. Previously, Rockstar Games confirmed that it was developing the next GTA game, but we certainly didn’t expect to get this level of detail. The trailer—which you can look at below—also confirms that the title is coming in 2025; no specific release date was revealed.
You can watch the trailer below:
Breaking Down the GTA 6 YouTube Trailer
Love Is A Long Road by Tom Petty Shares the Limelight
An unexpected music choice accompanying our first look at GTA 6 is the introduction of Tom Petty. The song in the trailer—Love is A Long Road—is a B-side of Petty’s famous song “Free Fallin,” released on the artist’s debut album, Full Moon Fever. However, this song wasn’t actually in the album; it was released as a single. The term B-side used to mean that the song was on the other side of the record before it turned into a cutesy pejorative for a song that wasn’t expected to be a hit.
A Bonnie and Clyde Duo
The trailer revealed the series’ dual protagonists. Lucia, the first-ever female lead in the long-running series, seems of Latin American descent. Then there’s her unnamed partner-in-crime, who joins her as they frolic around Vice City on a motorcycle, sports car, and speedboat. Rockstar didn’t share the male protagonist’s name, though, but the leaks from September 2022 refer to him as Jason.
It’s pretty evident from the footage that the duo share an intimate Bonnie and Clyde-esque relationship, which can be seen clearly when they drive away in a car that’s most likely to be stolen.
Other characters were also revealed, but unfortunately, they didn’t get enough screen time as Lucia and her partner took the stage. You may have noticed that at one point, there’s a close-up of two characters embracing each other enthusiastically that were previously unknown. Then, later in the trailer, a scantily clad woman is partying it up on the rooftop. We don’t have the deets on how significant these characters are to the main story, but we suspect that Rockstar will expound on this further in the future.
Where Does GTA 6 Take Place?
As many have foretold before, GTA VI is set to take place in Vice City and the broader state of Leonida—Rockstar’s version of Florida.
Do It for the ‘Gram
Besides confirming Vice City as the primary setting for GTA VI, quick shots of crime are sprinkled through the trailer. There were also quips of live streams and TikToks, hinting that social media could be an integral part of this game. Phones were already used in previous GTA titles, but this time, you could even do Instagram-style reels and share them on your profile.
The Trailer Was Leaked Before the Actual Release Date
Less than a day before its anticipated debut, the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer was leaked. The unconfirmed trailer appeared on Twitter/X on an early Monday afternoon, and it quickly spread like wildfire. The account was quickly suspended, but this more or less confirmed that the trailer was the real deal. Thousands of users already got to watch it since the post had thousands of likes before it was taken down.
It’s no secret that Rockstar Game has been struggling with leaks since 2022. Back then, a major hack resulted in the release of information about GTA 6. Then, just over this weekend, a man claiming to be the son of a Rockstar employee leaked a few seconds of info during the run-up of the trailer release.
Pushing the Limits of What’s Possible
During the press release, Sam Houser—the founder of Rockstar Games—stated that GTA 6 results from their team’s efforts to push the limits of what’s possible in “highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences.”
A Step Up From GTA V
GTA VI, no doubt, will be a step up from Grand Theft Auto V. GTA V has already been re-released into oblivion since its 2013 launch, and while it’s very much still a playable game, we want something new.
For GTA Online’s case, there’s no mention of what to expect; the open question of whether Rockstar will release a new standalone mode, continue to evolve the already-existing game, or do entirely something else remains unanswered.
GTA 6 2025 Might the Most Hyped Year for Gamers
As noted in the beginning, Grand Theft Auto VI has been confirmed for a 2025 release on the Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5, provided that no unexpected delays will happen. The press release did not mention a PC version, but it’s plausible that it’ll come later, as was the case for GTA V.
