Rockstar quietly flips the hype switch, while a former dev claims this will be the last billion-dollar GTA thanks to AI. Also: fans are already sweating load times.
🎬 The Stealth Drop Heard Round the Internet
Rockstar just made a tiny tweak to its official Grand Theft Auto VI website—and it sent the fanbase into a frenzy. A new “Wishlist Now” button appeared for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, linking straight to each console’s store. No trailer. No pre-order splash. Just a subtle nod that the long wait might finally be getting shorter.
But blink and you’ll miss the real story.
Because while fans dissect Rockstar’s every pixel, a former developer just dropped a brutal truth: GTA 6 will be the most expensive game ever made—and it might stay that way only once. The reason? AI is coming for the dev pipeline.
Oh, and those seamless open-world dreams? Brace yourself. GTA 6 might look like magic, but it won’t load like it.
🔎 What Changed — And What It Really Means
Rockstar’s update isn’t just cosmetic. Adding wishlist links to console storefronts is step one in the pre-order playbook. It quietly primes the algorithm and gauges interest while they ramp up for a full marketing blitz closer to the game’s May 2026 release.
But there’s more than marketing in the air.
Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar technical director, says GTA 6’s monstrous budget—reportedly upwards of a billion dollars—might be the last of its kind. Future GTA titles, he suggests, won’t need as many animators, artists, or even writers, thanks to artificial intelligence doing the heavy lifting. Procedural cinematics. AI-generated map assets. Automated mission scripting.
“GTA 6 might go down as the most expensive game of all time,” Vermeij says. “GTA 7 will be much cheaper thanks to AI.”
— via Beebom & Reddit AMA
So while we’re all staring at wishlist buttons and trailer timestamps, Rockstar (and likely everyone else in AAA) is quietly recalculating the cost of making blockbusters.
🚨 Load Times Are Back (And They Brought Luggage)
One thing that’s not shrinking? Load screens.
A Reddit post making the rounds warns: don’t expect GTA 6 to run like a dream just because it looks like one. Even GTA 5, on PS5, has noticeable loading between modes. And GTA 6’s sprawling dual-city design, with its dense NPC behavior and dynamic interiors, could push that even further.
“If Death Stranding 2 struggles with seamless loads, imagine what GTA 6 is up against,” one user noted.
It’s a gut check for players riding the hype wave. Ray-traced sunshine and reactive crowds are sexy. But if you’re stuck staring at a spinning wheel between missions, all that immersion dies at 60Hz.
🧠 Behind the Curtain: What Rockstar’s Really Signaling
Rockstar doesn’t do random. Every pixel they push live is intentional. So let’s read between the lines:
- Wishlist now, pre-order later: The button is a soft open. Expect a full trailer or showcase this holiday season, followed by a pre-order campaign early 2026. PC players? You’re still on the outside looking in.
- The budget arms race is ending: If Vermeij’s right, GTA 6 isn’t just the crown jewel of the franchise—it’s the last of its breed. Studios will use GTA 6’s scope to justify AI adoption across the board.
- AI vs Artistry: Not everyone’s thrilled. Reddit threads are full of pushback from players who want handcrafted worlds, not algorithmic ones. AI might make the next GTA cheaper—but will it still feel like GTA?
🎮 Player Reactions: Hope, Hype, and Hesitation
- “Something is definitely coming for sure.”
— Fans on Rockstar’s stealth website update - “I want a game developed by people. Actual art.”
— Reddit user, responding to AI-powered dev claims - “Wishlist button? LFG.”
— X (formerly Twitter)
The sentiment is split: some fans are racing to wishlist a game still two years away. Others are peering past the hype, worried that GTA’s soul might get lost in translation—from human hands to machine learning.
🧨 Final Thought
Rockstar didn’t need a new trailer to get GTA 6 trending again. A single button was enough.
But behind that minimalist marketing move is a much bigger shift—one where billion-dollar games might become obsolete, not because we don’t want them, but because AI makes them unnecessary.
The future of open-world games isn’t just bigger. It’s about to get a lot weirder. And maybe a little lonelier.
