A former Rockstar Games developer says he’ll be “shocked” if GTA 7 or Red Dead Redemption 3 isn’t already in the works.
As the gaming and entertainment world anxiously awaits the release of GTA 6, currently slated for November 19, it’s likely that the studio has its next big title planned, according to an ex-employee.
Speaking with Esports Bets, Mike York, an animator turned YouTuber who worked on GTA 5 and RDR2, said that the studio is “most likely” already developing GTA 7 or a new Red Dead.
The only catch? It’ll be years and years until it sees the light of day, especially with how it took Rockstar over 10 years to go from GTA V to VI.
New Red Dead or GTA 7 ‘likely’ in development
According to York, studios often have two big projects in the works at the same time and Rockstar is no exception.
“Major gaming companies always have two games being developed at once, so Rockstar Games might have already started working on a potential GTA 7 or RDR3,” he explained.
“Throughout the gaming industry, companies don’t tend to work on one project at a time; they always start developing the next thing once their current game is nearing completion.
Now that GTA 6 is nearing the end of its production, York said he “would be shocked if they hadn’t already started working on RDR3.”
Ex GTA dev doesn’t expect GTA 7 or RDR3 until the early 2030s at least
However, given the size and scope of Rockstar’s titles and the studio’s quest for perfection, York doesn’t see a potential RDR3 released any time before 2032 and pointed to GTA 6’s long development as an indicator.
“Games of this calibre usually take five-to-seven years to produce, given the work that has to go into them – just look at the size of the games themselves to download.”
Furthermore, York noted that it’s possible that Rockstar’s next game isn’t GTA or Red Dead at all and something totally different, but remains convinced that whatever it is, it’s actively being worked on.
“I’d anticipate its release to be the early to mid-2030s,” he added.
If Rockstar does end up developing RDR3, it could very well follow the same formula as RDR2 and be yet another prequel, this time going back even further in time to a more ruthless version of the West.
A GTA 7, however, is really anyone’s guess. Another former dev, Obbe Vermeij, doesn’t see the franchise taking place anywhere other than the United States and ruled out Europe, although a GTA Tokyo was in the cards at one point.
“They’ll revisit New York again. They’ll go back to LA or maybe Las Vegas. I’m afraid we’re stuck in this loop of about five American cities. Let’s just get used to it,” he warned.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby Beginning of a New Era Will Get a One-Day-Only North American Theater Release