Ex-GTA 6 dev says game’s realism will “blow people away”

A former GTA 6 developer has revealed why he’s excited about the new Grand Theft Auto and how the game’s realism will “blow people away.”

Ben Hinchliffe has a long history at Rockstar Games working on LA Noire, GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and GTA 6 before leaving the studio in 2021.

In a new interview with GTA VI O’clock, Hinchliffe touched on GTA 6 and explained what he suspects Rockstar is up to ahead of the game’s Fall 2025 release window.

According to the dev, the team is likely focused on bug-fixing and ensuring the game works. As an example, he mentioned how some players try to “mess around” and complete missions differently – something that the devs need to account for.

He was also asked what he’s most excited about when it comes to GTA 6’s release now that he’s on the outside looking in.

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“I think seeing where it was when I left and playing that final version and how much, if anything, has changed. How much things have changed,” he said. “I was privy to a lot of new things, content and story and stuff. I just love to know how that’s evolved and how it’s come out the other end.”

When asked if players will be “surprised” by what Rockstar is going to unveil, Hinchliffe indicated that the realism in particular will set it apart.

“You only have to look at how every game Rockstar has done has evolved in some way. You could argue that every element of the game moves forward in terms of feeling more realistic and people acting and behaving more realistic as every game is iterated through each cycle.”

“It will blow people away. It will sell an absolute ton as it always does. People have been taking about it for ages after GTA 5 and I’m really excited for people to get their hands on it and play it, just because I think [Rockstar] has raised the bar again just like they always do.”

These remarks echo those from Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive about GTA 6 “setting entertainment benchmarks.”

This interview comes as players are anxiously awaiting for Rockstar to announce the second trailer as it’s been nearly a full year of radio silence since fans got their first official look at the game.

Luckily, they might not have long to wait as players are convinced a trailer announcement could be coming before Take-Two’s next earnings call on November 8. Whether or not we’ll see some of this groundbreaking realism Hinchliffe teased, however, remains to be seen.