Between ballooning development timelines and a massive shift toward endless live-service ecosystems, the era of the standard video game follow-up is rapidly coming to an end. There isn’t any doubt that Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to be one of the biggest game launches the industry has ever seen, but the sheer scope that people are expecting could potentially put Rockstar in a tough position when it comes to deciding what its next game will be. The game may not even be out yet, but that hasn’t stopped gamers from anticipating Grand Theft Auto 6 to be a turning point for the industry. It will definitely influence other developers in specific ways, and while that’s compelling, it also makes Rockstar’s path forward in a post-GTA 6 world difficult to navigate.
The biggest question that will linger after GTA 6‘s release date comes and goes is what Rockstar’s next game will even be. Red Dead Redemption 3 feels like the most obvious choice, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. I would love to get another Red Dead Redemption game, but it might be a lot better for Rockstar to take a big swing and bring something new to the table instead of relying on its biggest hits.
After GTA 6, Rockstar Needs to Look Beyond Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption
No, I’m not talking about a sequel to Bully. Rockstar moving on to a new Red Dead Redemption game after GTA 6 is the safest choice for the developer, but that’s a problem. In order to really get gamers’ attention after a huge cultural moment like GTA 6, one of the most exciting things that Rockstar could do would be to announce a brand-new IP.
The Red Dead Redemption Franchise May Have Run Its Course
Let me be clear that I love Red Dead Redemption and its sequel, and I think they make up two near-perfect games. However, a third chapter definitely isn’t necessary. Yeah, a third game could follow Sadie Adler, Charles Smith, or even be another prequel centered on Dutch and Hosea’s early outlaw days. If Rockstar didn’t completely nail the story, though, it would feel more like the company was milking a franchise it knows is popular instead of expanding the universe in a truly meaningful way. The Grand Theft Auto games have the benefit of being standalone stories, and Red Dead Redemption already feels like a tight, interconnected narrative that has been wrapped up. A third game could potentially tarnish that reputation if its story doesn’t hit the same marks as its predecessors.
If a post-GTA 6 world is truly going to kickstart a brand-new era of gaming, then now is the perfect time for Rockstar to explore new and original ideas. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine a world where Rockstar can one-up GTA 6 with an eventual GTA 7, especially with speculation that GTA 6‘s online version is going to embrace a Roblox-like approach where user-generated content is king. If GTA 6 online becomes a reality, it would likely be a never-ending game for Rockstar. With GTA 6‘s incredible graphics and expected online world, Rockstar won’t need to revisit the series for a long time.
With Game Development Timelines Getting Longer and Longer, Rockstar Needs to Ditch Its Sequel Formula
GTA 6‘s development has created one of the most notorious waiting cycles ever. Of course, it’s still not as bad as the wait for a Beyond Good and Evil 2 or Elder Scrolls 6 release date announcement, but GTA 6 has had a choke hold on a lot of gamers. It’s going to rule the roost for a long time after its November release, and there’s no telling how long it would take for Rockstar to make GTA 7, especially if its next game is a non-GTA title.
If a post-GTA 6 world is truly going to kickstart a brand-new era of gaming, then now is the perfect time for Rockstar to explore new and original ideas.
The wait between titles is becoming harder for gamers to deal with, and that’s another reason why a new IP needs to be next in line for Rockstar. It might be best for the developer to embrace one-off stories in general from now on. This would take all the sequel-focused pressure off the table. Also, if game development continues to evolve as rapidly as it has been over recent years, then new stories and worlds are the best way to take advantage of technological advances.
Getting another GTA or new Red Dead Redemption game every now and then with slightly improved graphics when GTA 6 and RDR2 already look incredible would eventually start to feel like a waste. Rockstar has already proven how great it can make GTA and Red Dead look. The company needs to expand its horizons and demonstrate what other worlds it can bring to life.
GTA and Red Dead Redemption Are Incredible Franchises, But It’s Time That Rockstar Set Its Sights on Something Unexpected
Not every Rockstar project has made it across the finish line. A Rockstar zombie game was in the works back in 2002, but it was canceled early in development. The zombie genre is pretty crowded, but it would be fascinating to see how Rockstar approached this kind of world. If not a zombie story, an open-world horror game in general has the potential to be incredibly cool.
There’s also Rockstar’s Project Medieval that was once considered by the company, but it never went any further. Games by Rockstar go beyond GTA and Red Dead Redemption, and exploring another original IP presents the chance to both embrace the future while also paying tribute to a past roster that featured far more than just the crime and western series.
Concepts Rockstar Should Tackle Next
- Pirates
- Sci-fi
- Horror
- Medieval
- Post-apocalyptic
- Detective mystery
Rockstar published a detective story with L.A. Noire, but the studio getting hands-on with this kind of project could be incredibly cool. Beyond that, a Rockstar pirate game would have what it takes to blow the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake out of the water, while the sci-fi genre could be a bold leap forward for the developer. What Rockstar has been able to achieve so far is wild. However, it’s also important to avoid a constant cycle of sequels that take forever to arrive. No one knows what Rockstar is going to do next after GTA 6, but it’s hopefully something completely unexpected.
- Released
-
November 19, 2026
- ESRB
-
Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
