The GTA VI trailer released 1 week ago, reaching 143 million views and 10 million likes. It has more trailer views than RDR2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Zelda’s combined. With massive amounts of hype also came a lot of player speculation on whether or not GTA VI will be able to deliver. GTA V and IV had already exceeded expectations and features leaving many to wonder if Rockstar is beginning to run out of ideas. Some comments read, “Great, now we’ll have to wait for another year.” or, “We had to wait ten years for this, what a disappointment.” A few fans took it a step further and began to harass Rockstar’s Twitter page with tweets about being, “open-minded.” Some others stated Rockstar left their, “true,” fanbase behind.

Despite this, other gaming industries such as Activision or 343 Industries celebrated its trailer by using the same poster or simply tweeting about it. The game had an estimated 2 billion dollar budget making it the most expensive game ever. The trailer showcased the game’s graphics, possible interactions, and lifelike people or buildings. This leaves many to believe that GTA VI will be the most graphically intense game along with only being on next-generation consoles.

However, parents and critics are concerned about how GTA VI might breed more violence. Even more so when Elon Musk tweeted below an original comment discussing why GTA games shouldn’t be sold. The tweet read, “I’ve never finished GTA V because it required shooting police officers in the first mission. Just couldn’t do it.” This attracted the attention of many parents and critics. That all decided to rally behind #BANGTA6 which has been a trending topic right under GTA VI.

Of course, this won’t deter Rockstar Games. The company dealt with similar conflicts in the past such as GTA III in 2001. Thought to be the most graphically violent game at the time. Lawsuits against GTA V for, “indecent exposure on kids.” This was easily debunked as the game clearly states, “Intended for mature audiences only.” As stated before, Rockstar Games will not end GTA VI’s production as it has the world’s attention and appreciation.

WHS student, Jeremiah Malik also talked about the game’s potential and release date, “I think the release date for GTA 6 is kind of outrageous. But I think it’ll be worth it since Rockstar is trying to make it look as realistic as possible. When the game releases, it will be one of the biggest releases of the year. Which could put down other gaming companies such as Epic Games or Nintendo for some time.”