What's a bit of heckling among devs?
If you thought that everyone is rooting for Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto 6 after award-winning developer Josef Fares gave the upcoming title his vote of confidence, you'd be wrong. Apparently not everyone is buying into the hype. The co-founder of Warhorse Studios, known for Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its sequel, Kingdom Code: Deliverance II and a writer for the Mafia series, has raised eyebrows with his newly-unearthed comments about GTA 6 from two years ago.
According to Dan Vavra, fans should temper their expectations with GTA 6, citing departures of key talent from Rockstar, including Dan Houser, all the while allgeting that Sam Houser is difficult to work with. Vavra also implied that Rockstar is only able to achieve so much with Grand Theft Auto because of how much money they have at their disposal.
While definitely bold, the statement isn't completely without some merit. Rockstar has undergone significant changes in recent years, and GTA 6 is no longer being made by the same people that made Grand Theft Auto V. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, though - because of GTA 6's development cycle, many developers who previously contributed on the game have left to pursue other ventures.
While the absence of individuals who played crucial roles in shaping the franchise's earlier successes could potentially impact the quality of the upcoming installment, former Rockstar director Obbe Vermeij previously pointed out that plenty of people who've worked on GTA for most of their lives are still part of the company.
Rockstar's track record also speaks for itself. Each main entry in the series has set new standards for open-world gaming. The immense financial success of GTA V and Grand Theft Auto Online, which has generated over $9 billion in lifetime revenue as it continues to be one of the most-played games on modern platforms over a decade following its release, means that fans have no reason to worry and that it might even be wiser to raise expectations instead.
The studio's approach to game development, characterized by longer development cycles and meticulous attention to detail, has consistently yielded critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles. This methodology, while sometimes frustrating, allows Rockstar to create rich, immersive worlds that have stood the test of time.
At a time where many studios face layoffs and closures, Rockstar's deliberate approach may be the reason why it's successful in maintaining a strong market position as it has avoided the pitfalls of rushed development cycles. To date, games like Grand Theft Auto III , Grand Theft Auto: Vice City , Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , and Grand Theft Auto IV, are considered some of the best titles of their generations if not all time.
So while Rockstar might have substantial financial resources to create expansive, detailed environments that small studios can only dream of, its proven and unparalleled ability to consistently craft compelling narratives and memorable characters are what warranted such an investment. Knowing Rockstar, no one at the company will bother replying to this. But it is interesting to see how other developers perceive GTA 6 and the company as a whole.
Rockstar and Warhorse are expected to compete for prestigious awards later this year. Warhorse's latest title, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, is one of the frontrunners for this year's Game of the Year award. However, GTA 6 has already dominated the GOTY conversations even though it isn't out yet, with Take-Two Interactive CEO describing it as a game that will set "creative benchmarks" throughout the entire entertainment industry.
