There are certain immutable truths of the universe. Water is wet. The sky is blue. Death is the end of us all. And any time Rockstar Games releases new content, Grand Theft Auto fans will dig in and try to find clues about the long-awaited GTA 6, set to arrive on Xbox and PlayStation later this year. So when GTA Online‘s latest heist update added a ton of new paintings to steal and collect, you better believe fans were quick to spot some references to GTA 6.
On July 14, Rockstar released the latest big, free update for GTA Online. The Kortz Center Heist update adds a new art museum location that players can rob, either alone or with some accomplices, to get their hands on some new pieces of art which can then be sold or collected. And it’s these new paintings that have caught the attention of some GTA fans. Many think that at least some of these paintings are directly referencing the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 or other Rockstar Games. And you know what, unlike some other out-of-control theories postulated by members of the GTA community, I actually think (some of) the paintings are indeed pointing to GTA 6.
For example, this newly added painting titled La Dernière Débauche might just look like some half-naked women dancing about. But according to some, this is actually a subtle recreation of the GTA 6 map. And folks, normally, I would just roll my eyes, but overlaying the map created so far by talented and dedicated fans using screenshots from GTA 6 trailers with the painting…yeah, okay, that does look very similar. Hmm…Is Rockstar teasing fans?
Here’s another interesting one. There is a paint simply titled Trust. Now, if you’ve watched the original GTA 6 trailer a few times (and I have), you might remember that Lucia and Jason both say “Trust” to each other at the end. What makes this connection more believable is that the painting depicts someone robbing a cafe or diner. And one of the most famous pieces of leaked GTA 6 footage from 2022 showed the two characters robbing a restaurant or fast food joint.
Beyond these debatable references to the upcoming GTA 6, there is a far more obvious and direct nod to the next game.
Expert art counterfeiter Yong-Rae is a new character introduced in this GTA Online update. And he is wearing a T-shirt that straight up says “Art Oregano Vice City.” This seems to be Rockstar’s version of the famous, long-running Art Basel art fair that happens every year in Miami. Might we encounter the Art Oregano fair in GTA 6? Possibly. Also interesting to note is that Yong-Rae seems to be wearing the same necklace worn by Cal Hampton, a character that appears in official GTA 6 trailers and artwork. Do these two know each other? Or is Rockstar simply reusing assets? Or is this just a little tease for eagle-eyed fans? Take your bets now.
Regardless, it’s clear that Rockstar is ramping up its references to GTA 6 in GTA Online. If there’s one more big update for the game between now and GTA 6‘s launch in November, which is possible based on past history, I wonder if we might even get more explicit and direct connections to the long-awaited sequel.