Netflix and Rockstar Games just made history. GTA VI, the follow-up to GTA V, which came out 13 years ago, is finally on the horizon, and we just got our real first look.
I said this when I first saw some the leaked footage: “the leaks do not matter.” First, Rockstar Games is still working on GTA VI, and they’ll likely be working on it until the last second. They want to ship something that’s going to be great, but they also wanted the people who see the game for the first time to see it at its highest possible quality. And that’s exactly what they did with the Netflix first look.
The lighting, the interaction with NPCs, the driving mechanics, the hair physics; everything about the city actually looked f***ing spectacular.
I’ve been against the leaks since they started. I’ve been saying it from the beginning: that whole “Robin Hood” narrative that Cyberleeks was pushing was absolute BS. It was a glorified crypto scam, and that’s the last bit of attention I’ll give it.
If anyone can revive E3, Netflix can.
If you’ve been around for a while, you remember E3. It was a massive gaming event where the entire industry came together to showcase the future of gaming. Ever since E3 stopped, I’ve been wanting something that felt like E3 again. Even though this stream was dedicated to one game, it still brought back that feeling of attending or watching E3.
Rockstar and Netflix delivered something that felt like E3 all over again.
If any studio has the ability to recreate that scale, it’s definitely Netflix. Think about it. Netflix doesn’t just dominate traditional streaming anymore. They’re aggressively expanding their footprint. They have a dedicated gaming division now, and they’re completely taking over live broadcasting. They’re streaming the SAG Awards live and pushing boundaries with massive interactive shows. It goes way beyond the digital screen, too. They have permanent physical event spaces and incredible on-the-ground activations.
I’ve personally attended their Emmy’s events, red carpet movie and streaming premieres, and exclusive pop-ups. Having experienced those activations, I can tell you firsthand that their production value is above all other studios. They have the infrastructure and the global reach to turn a single game trailer into a massive cultural moment. It really begs the question: what can’t they touch? I think this GTA VI showcase is the start of something much bigger than any of us realize.
What makes this even wilder is that Rockstar rarely had an appearance at E3. Rarely could a studio or publisher get them to showcase on stage. Yeah, sure, PlayStation got a few GTA V marketing plugs across the previous console generations but we never received a true first look of this scale.
So, how does GTA VI look?
GTA VI LOOKS F***ING INCREDRIBLE!
The gameplay mechanics, everything about it has me at a hype level that is actually surprising me because I’m not the biggest Grand Theft Auto fan. Yes, I play every game! But it feels like required gaming. I mean, who hasn’t played GTA?
Grand Theft Auto is not just a video game; it is massive virtual experience that sets the standard for the industry.
I remember playing GTA V with a girlfriend who hated videos games and she was surprisingly loving it. It had always a been really cool experience just to see how other people played and reacted to Grand Theft Auto. GTA V was a cultural juggernaut, but GTA VI is going to be a whole other level.
Don’t look at Grand Theft Auto as just a video game. Look at it as an experience. To me, GTA VI is the start of something that’s going to last for at least the next decade, maybe even longer. Rockstar Games didn’t put this much time and development into making something that’s only going to be around for a year.
I’m expecting this to be a massive expansive world the likes we’ve never seen before in gaming.
What have we learned about GTA VI?
Rockstar Games revealed details on the map size, and we now know the GTA VI map will be approximately three times as large as Red Dead Redemption 2 and two times as large as GTA V.
There are even relationship mechanics we’ll be able to work out, and there’s a lot of stuff in this game we don’t even know about yet! I’m sure we’re going to be exploring and finding out so much more.
Hyped enough to buy a PS5 Pro. If I even can.
I’m going to be playing and streaming it, and I’m hyped. I may even buy a PS5 Pro just to be able to play this at full quality. Can we talk about that for a second, though? GTA VI was shown with gameplay from the base-level PS5. They’ve been really specific about pointing out the fact that it was the PS5. If it looked this good on the base model PS5, how is it going to look on the PlayStation 5 Pro? Or the eventual next-gen consoles and PC?
What happened to the PlayStation Blackout?
That brings up an interesting reality check though. Shortly after this reveal, reports confirmed that the PS5 Pro sold out completely. Some people tried to dispute it, saying that’s just because of low stock, but selling out instantly proves there’s massive demand. This is happening right in the midst of the alleged “PlayStation blackout”, which really begs the question: was any of it even real, or was it just a hate and harassment campaign? The leaks didn’t matter, and performative online boycotts certainly didn’t stop the hardware from flying off the shelves.
Did RockStar Games Just Win GOTY?
Rockstar Games has cemented itself as a leader in the gaming industry. They set the standard for what games can and should be, and I think a lot of developers are going to be playing this and learning how to implement new things to create expansive worlds just like it.
I've had a worry. With The Game Awards returning on December 10th, shortly after the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, could it even win Game of the Year? I mean, is there even enough time? This reveal completely sold it for me, though. We might as well crown it Game of the Year right now just from the showcase alone. What could even top what we've just witnessed?
If you couldn’t tell, I’m looking forward to playing Grand Theft Auto 6 when it releases on November 19, 2026. I can’t believe it’s finally here. It was a long wait, but it was worth it. Rockstar Games isn’t just dropping a highly anticipated sequel; they are setting the foundation for the next decade (or longer) of interactive entertainment, and this Netflix showcase proved they are ready to own it.