The hype surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6is stronger than ever with the game being confirmed for a 2025 release window, and more information around the upcoming project is expected to release in the coming months. The December 2023 reveal trailer for the game gave fans a great insight into the world of Vice City and the title’s central characters, but there are many aspects of the release that are still clouded in uncertainty.
WhileGrand Theft Auto 6will presumably aim to exceed the gameplay experience ofGTA 5, there are many past highlights and harsh lessons from the franchise’s history that can inform the upcoming game. The concept of singleplayer story expansions was lost inGrand Theft Auto 5, despite the IP’s successful history of story DLC, and Rockstar would do well to finally revive this tradition inGTA 6. While there are many past examples to look towards when thinking about possible DLC forGTA 6, one expansion for 1997’sGrand Theft Automay be the best one for Rockstar to consider.
Grand Theft Auto’s GTA London Should Be the Blueprint for Grand Theft Auto 6’s Story DLC
With over a decade having passed since the launch ofGrand Theft Auto 5, it is clear to see why the expectations aroundGTA 6are as high as they are.GTA 6’s portrayal of the iconic Vice Cityis already shaping up to be jam-packed with detail, and it seems obvious that Rockstar is aiming for the game to be bigger and better than any of its predecessors.
Away from the core gameplay ofGTA 6and its base-game narrative, there is one clear area that the upcoming project can improve upon compared toGrand Theft Auto 5, and this concerns post-launch story expansions. Despite the staggering success ofGTA 5, the game infamously never received story DLC, going against the grain of past popularGTAexpansions likeThe Lost and DamnedandThe Ballad of Gay Tony.
This disheartening trend has formed across multiple Rockstar franchises, withRed Dead Redemption 2also having no post-launch narrative additionsdespite how popular theUndead Nightmareexpansion of its predecessor remains to this day. While the likes ofThe Lost and Damnedfleshed outGTA 4in a constructive way, the expectations aroundGTA 6should be met with a story DLC that takes place outside the base game location, and the upcoming game can look toward the originalGTAfor inspiration in this regard.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Has the Means to Have Expansions in Unique Locations
Grand Theft Autowas the last mainline title for the franchise to feature the classic isometric perspective, yet the game still stands as a pioneer of the IP thanks to its story expansion,GTA: London 1969. As the name suggests,GTA: Londonwas set away fromGTA 2’s base setting of Anywhere City, and gave a rare glimpse at settings outside of the United States for the franchise.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s Vice City setting is already leading to rumors around other playable locations that might be included, with some fans believing that the game will feature Caribbean islands as secondary locations. One theory even suggests thatRed Dead Redemption 2’s Guarma chapter was an asset test for tropical locations inGTA 6, and Rockstar should consider dedicating these locations to post-launch story expansions for the upcoming game. While it would be nice to still have some story expansions remain in Vice City forGTA 6, the intrigue and variety in past expansions likeGTA: Londonmake it clear thatGTA 6should have at least one DLC that embraces an entirely new location.
Grand Theft Auto 6
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Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
