Several signs point to Rockstar Games releasing a new video game engine dedicated specifically for the online component of GTA 6.
As Grand Theft Auto 6 looms, most fans are occupied by speculation about the upcoming sequel; however the second biggest question on everyone's mind is what will happen to GTA 5 and Online after launch. Swirling rumors increasingly indicate that Rockstar is gearing up to hand power to the fans, and this latest report seems to reinforce that futher.
Rockstar Games has been tight-lipped about the hotly anticipated sequel's development, even as it imposes a Return-to-Office mandate signaling an all-hands-on-deck approach. Despite the silence, the internet is abuzz with speculation and leaks about GTA 6.
While no one seems to know when the next official GTA 6 announcement will surface, GTAFocal reports that Rockstar is working on new "online proprietary modding tools." This development could be related to last month's discovery of a public mission creator in Grand Theft Auto Online's game files.
User-generated content (UGC) has been crucial to GTA Online's success, extending the shelf life of a title originally released in 2013 that initially struggled at launch. Rockstar's doubling down on UGC is a smart move, and a surprising one considering past attitude towards the practice (hint: it usually involved lawsuits).
With rumors of FiveM coming to consoles later this year, it's evident that Rockstar isn't finished with GTA Online. The company may wait until the latter half of this decade before sunsetting one of gaming history's greatest comeback stories.
The new modding engine for GTA 6 is expected to be a significant improvement over its predecessor. Even today, GTA's modding capabilities feel relatively barebones compared to contemporaries like Bethesda's Creation Engine — but this didn't stop a thriving modding community to grow around the title. We can only imagine how much dedicated tools will supercharge this for the sequel.
GTA 6 is scheduled for a Fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X.
