The anticipation for the sixth Grand Theft Auto mainline installment continues to build. It's no secret that fans have long-awaited more info about GTA 6 since its confirmation last year.

But, many may wonder why the game's development seems to be taking longer than expected. After all, the gap between previous mainline titles was only 3-5 years, at most. But, as it turns out, there's a perfectly good reason for this.

According to the Take-Two Interactive CEO, Strauss Zelnick, Rockstar Games' relentless drive and determination to settle for nothing less than the best is the reason for GTA 6's extended development time.

To quote Zelnick:

I think that's a challenge that the folks that Rockstar face every time there's a new iteration of Grand Theft Auto. It needs to be something you've never seen before on the one hand, and it needs to reflect the feeling that we have about Grand Theft Auto. That's a big challenge for the team. Now, Rockstar's answer is just seek perfection; seek nothing short of perfection, and we'll get there.

GTA 6's development has reportedly taken up the vast majority of resources over at Rockstar for the better part of the last decade.

It's essential to understand that game development, particularly for high-profile franchises like GTA is an intricate and meticulous process.

The world of gaming has changed significantly in recent years. As the demand for a better and bigger game grows, so does the budget. Rockstar finds itself having to deal with the rising bar for quality that it raised itself many years ago.

Rockstar not only has to one-up everyone else within the gaming industry but it also has to guarantee that GTA 6 lives up to expectations as the new creative benchmark in the entire gaming industry.

This is a tall task for anyone, even for Rockstar. But, this is the reality the developers have to deal with. It's not just enough that GTA 6 is bigger and more packed with content. It has to be a better game in every way as well. The commitment to make this happen naturally extends the development period of GTA 6.

As this level of immersion requires an absurd amount of effort and attention to detail, GTA 6 is bound to take longer than the usual game.