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 suggested that no further trailers should be released until the game's launch. Rockstar released GTA 6 Trailer 1 to record-breaking viewership in December 2023, but since then, fans have been left waiting for more information, fueling a range of conspiracy theories about when GTA 6 Trailer 2 might drop.

These theories have included counting the holes in Lucia’s cell door net, the bullet holes in the car from Trailer 1, and even analyzing registration plates. However, the most talked-about theory is the ongoing moon watch, which accurately predicted the announcement date of GTA 6 Trailer 1 but was later debunked as a hint for Trailer 2's release date.

So, when will GTA 6 Trailer 2 be released? Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, hinted that fans might have to wait until closer to the game's release date, set for fall 2025, for their next glimpse. However, former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij, who worked on the series up until Grand Theft Auto 4 in 2008, stated on Twitter that if it were up to him, he wouldn’t release any more trailers for GTA 6.

"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 fan's suggestion that Rockstar might just announce the game's release date and nothing else, Vermeij called it a "boss move."

While Rockstar labeled the first trailer as GTA 6 Trailer 1, suggesting more trailers to follow, plans can change. Rockstar might prefer to focus on finalizing GTA 6 for a 2025 release rather than releasing another trailer that would be dissected extensively by fans. Vermeij also mentioned that Rockstar delayed GTA 4 in July 2007, just three months before its intended release, and suggested a similar "decision day" might be approaching for GTA 6.

"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."

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In a March interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick addressed why GTA 6's release date remains a closely guarded secret. "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."

He added, "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, suggested on his YouTube channel that Rockstar is intentionally fueling conspiracy theories by remaining silent about GTA 6 and 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 of 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."

York also noted that Rockstar is likely resisting pressure from its fanbase to announce the release date of GTA 6 Trailer 2 to maintain this effective marketing strategy. "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 statements suggest that GTA 6 Trailer 2, if it is released, may not be until closer to the game's anticipated release in fall 2025, assuming there are no delays. While you await further updates on GTA 6, you can explore IGN's coverage on an ex-Rockstar developer's insights about potential delays, Strauss Zelnick's thoughts on the future of GTA Online, and expert opinions on whether the PS5 Pro will support GTA 6 at 60 frames per second.