“Oh blast, off we pop again…”
The past year has been a whirlwind for Rockstar Games, with leaks and rumours regarding the next Grand Theft Auto dominating message boards and social media.
However, now that we know a trailer is on the way, hopefully things will soon become clear.
This hasn’t stopped the rumour spreaders, though. Oddly, the words ‘GTA London’ are popping up in various corners of the internet.
Judging by pretty much every leak and rumour, the city of London is not where the next GTA is set. So what’s all this about?
Let’s try to unpack the reason people are talking about a British GTA-type game.
Why are people talking about GTA London?
All this talk about a GTA London isn’t actually regarding an official Grand Theft Auto release.
There’s a game in development called Ends, which looks to be a possible rival for Rockstar’s flagship gangster series.
Developed by Concrete Realm, Ends looks like a gritty crime caper set on the streets of London. Check out the trailer below:
It’s early days for Ends at the moment, but it reminds us of the 2002 Team Soho classic The Getaway.
We’ll be sure to report more on Ends when we hear more, but it’s a pretty exciting prospect to explore an authentic London in a game again.
Will there be an official GTA London game?
For the foreseeable, we’d imagine Rockstar will be focusing on Grand Theft Auto 6. And if the leaks are anything to go by, GTA 6 will be set in the Miami-inspired Vice City – first seen in the eponymous 2002 game.
Nothing has been announced, but according to someone who has supposedly seen a trailer, GTA 6 will feature two protagonists called Jason and Lucia.
This mysterious trailer supposedly features many shots of Vice City, too.
So it looks like the next GTA will be in a sunny location. The complete opposite of London.
Has GTA ever been to London?
If you cast you cast you minds back to the late ’90s (if you were born after, lucky you), you might remember such a game existing.
It was an expansion pack (what we used to call DLC) for the the first Grand Theft Auto, and it was called Grand Theft Auto: London 1969. It went on to be released as its own game for the PlayStation 1.
If you’re curious, check out a gameplay video down below:
It’s the old top-down two-dimensional style, but look at those Union Flag cars. Set in 1960s London, it focuses on that era’s crime and culture, such as the mods.
We reckon it’s worth doing your best Michael Caine impression and revisiting this gem.
Listen to our One More Life podcast, subscribe to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter for all the latest gaming intel.
Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.