A former Rockstar Games employee has claimed thatGrand Theft Auto 6is “probably playable now,” and the development team is focusing on bug fixes and other technical adjustments. Mike York, a former animator who worked on other Rockstar titles such asGrand Theft Auto 5andRed Dead Redemption 2, believes that the developers are performing rigorous testing and playing the game extensively to ensure a polished final product, based on his prior experiences with the company.
York’s statement in a now-deleted video by Kiwi Talkz on YouTube suggests thatGTA 6’scurrently scheduled fall 2025 release date will be met,despitecirculating rumors of a delayin the open-world crime game’s development.
GTA 6 Interview with Ex-Rockstar Animator Mike York Removed Upon Request
The Video Was Deleted Shortly After Posting
After posting the video on YouTube,Kiwi Talkz announced in a statementthat the video was removed upon York’s request, as he “said some stuff that he shouldn’t have.“While the exact information that he shouldn’t have said remains unclear, the deletion of the video strongly suggests that York’s thoughts onGTA 6’scurrent development status are valid.As per information fromXhardhempus, who noted down York’s statement, the former Rockstar animator believes the game is essentially completed, and the focus is purely on technical fixes:
“They’re probably still adding some new things here and there, of course, but I would assume the game is already playable now, and a lot of people are testing everything from start to finish,” he speculated. “There are probably tons of bugs, and they’re fixing all of them, trying to find even more and squash as many as possible before release, because a game like GTA is unlike any other.” - Mike York in an interview with Kiwi Talkz, courtesy ofXhardhempus.
York’s discussion on the current development ofGrand Theft Auto 6comes from a place of experience, as the former animator at Rockstar has been credited on games released between 2012 and 2017 through theRockstar New England studio.Reflecting on his prior employment, he suggested that the team would playGTA 5for up to ten hours a day to identifyany bugs or glitches in the open-world Los Santos, to ensure a polished final product. He believes that this will most likely be underway at the moment forGrand Theft Auto 6, based on his recollection of events.
What We Know About GTA 6 Thus Far
No New Information On GTA 6 Since December 2024
York’s statements on the current status ofGTA 6are purely speculative, as Rockstar Games have remained tight-lipped on specific detailsof the release or development of the hugely anticipated sequel to 2013’sGrand Theft Auto 5.York previously suggestedthat Rockstar is intentionally providing no official statements to fuel hype and organic marketing, asRockstar’s only official statement on their websiteconfirms that “Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City,” a return to the setting of 2002’sGTA Vice City.
One 2025 RPG Could End Up Becoming My GOTY Over GTA 6
While Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely at the top of everyone’s GOTY prediction list, I am far more excited about one of the years best-looking RPGs.
GTA 6is expected to launch in Fall 2025 on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, as indicated inthe trailerwhich has received over 230 million views at the time of writing.Fans will play as crime-duo Lucia and a currently unnamed male protagonist. The game is estimated to bring in$3 billion dollars within the first year of release, highlighting the monumental hype for the game. Statements like Mike York’s fuel speculation and anticipation forGrand Theft Auto 6in the meantime, asfans wildly theorizeabout when another trailer or a release date will be unveiled.
