New GTA 6 leaks say the game is set in 70s/80s Brazil, inspired by Netflix's Narcos, and it's next-gen only

(Image credit: Rockstar)

This GTA 6 leak is no joke. Posted on Reddit, user JackOLantern1982 has posted a lengthy bullet-point list about what is apparently included in the next Grand Theft Auto game, including the fact that it's set across multiple decades, deals with the rise of a drug cartel, and is set partly in Vice City. You can read the entire list of alleged information about GTA 6 below, but there's plenty more to this leak than just one Reddit post, as other leaks have popped up that corroborate the points in JackOLantern1982's post, like this one from Reddit user gfk53. Here's the entire suit of information, edited for clarity:

  • The next GTA title has been in development since 2012, but production didn't begin properly until 2015, but even then the team was focusing more on Red Dead Redemption 2.  
  • It's another Rockstar Worldwide Production.
  • Codename is PROJECT AMERICAS.
  • Set in both Vice City and a new fictional location based on Rio de Janeiro.
  • Some linear missions take place in Liberty City, but it isn't an open world (think Ludendorff in GTA 5).
  • Game will balance realism and arcade and it won't be as realistic as Red Dead Redemption 2.
  • One playable protagonist: male, not female, despite supposed leaks.
  • Set in 1970s-1980s.
  • You play as an up and coming drug lord-wannabe named "Ricardo". Another key character called “Kacey” is a part of the narrative. You start off as a grunt doing runs as a cocaine smuggler from Vice City to the new large South American area before making connections with big time drug lords and making your way up. Multiple cities.
  • There will also be a giant prison which will play a part in the game.
  • Will feature a 'chapter' system similar to a Tarantino flick or Red Dead Redemption 2.
  • Weather is a heavy focus (hurricanes, floods, etc).
  • Buildings change over the eras, vehicles too. So older, rare classic cars get more expensive as time progresses etc. Full economy.
  • Heavily inspired by Netflix's Narcos.
  • They want to have an incredible 70s/80s soundtrack.
  • A younger Martin Madrazo will make an appearance as will his father who is a big drug lord at the time. You do some missions for the Madrazo family involving hits on other gangs.
  • Drug empire building is a mechanic similar to Vice City Stories but bigger. Think the GTA Online system and dial it up to 10.
  • You can only have weapons on your person. No arsenal in your back pocket, like Red Dead Redemption 2.
  • Your personal vehicle will be like your horse saddle in Red Dead Redemption 2. All your equipment is stored in the trunk. You also store your body armour in the car. If you wear it, it appears, no longer just an invisible thing.
  • There will be tons of subtitle reading. Think Max Payne 3 amounts, very immersive, like watching an episode of Narcos. Whenever you're in South America, don't expect to hear much English. Vice City however is a mix of everything, but mostly English.
  • Last bit of narrative info, it will discuss topics such as HIV and the immigration crisis of the time. A fictional version of Fidel Castro etc.
  • Next-gen only, not PS4 or Xbox One [aka PS5 and Xbox Series X]
  • GTA 6 is now their primary focus, alongside another title (which might be Bully 2).
  • Game is still in Pre-Alpha so names, locations, details could and probably will change.
  • No ETA on a release date.

(Image credit: Rockstar)

Then there are these other details about the game from Fireden, edited for clarity below. 

  • The game is set back in Liberty City, modern day.
  • The plot in the beginning of the game is reminiscent of The Wire.
  • Police officers are trying to crack down a gang/drug ring based around a night club.
  • There are four main characters, two police and two gang members.
  • The plot then twists and turns and goes to upstate New York, where it becomes more crime noir, think Ozark and Breaking Bad.
  • It will have twice the amount of dialogue as GTA 5 and a really crazy plot twist.
  • The main storyline splits after a while, the criminal side has sort of a sandbox build-a-crime-empire thing (Fallout 4 meets the Sims), while the police side is more of a traditional action game with a little twist of LA Noire.
  • Earliest release is holiday 2021, but I would guess later, 2022 or 2023.

Well, there you have it. A truckload of GTA 6 leaks. We'll have to wait to see if there's any truth in these claims, but until then just sit tight and be prepared to be patient, as if that 2022/2023 release date is accurate, we're due for almost four years of waiting. Dang it. 

If you're looking for another game to play, keep an eye out for the best Amazon Prime Day deals right here, or look below to see what you should hunt down in Red Dead Redemption 2!

Zoe Delahunty-Light

While here at GamesRadar, Zoe was a features writer and video presenter for us. She's since flown the coop and gone on to work at Eurogamer where she's a video producer, and also runs her own Twitch and YouTube channels. She specialises in huge open-world games, true crime, and lore deep-dives. 

Read more
GTA 6: A man and a woman sitting on a car in the poster for Grand Theft Auto 6.
GTA 6: Everything we know so far
A Big In 2025 picture featuring screenshots of Grand Theft Auto 6
GTA 6 wishlist – everything we want from the next instalment of Grand Theft Auto
GTA 6
Sick of waiting for GTA 6, one modder has put its map into GTA 5, and you can try it out right now
GTA 6 trailer screenshots
Former GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 animator says GTA 6 is likely playable "all the way through" right now
GTA 6 reveal trailer screenshot showing a young blonde woman standing near a sunny rooftop pool, wearing a white and gold bikini
A modder is daring to recreate GTA 6's map in GTA 5, despite Rockstar owner Take-Two's recent spree of fan project shutdowns
Three playable characters stand in a triangle wearing suits and holding guns in GTA 5
GTA 5 is "the standard-bearer for the industry over three generations," but GTA 6 publisher's CEO isn't taking that for granted: "We don't claim success until it occurs"
Latest in Games
Wreckfest 2
Devs behind beloved destruction-focused racing game Wreckfest launch the sequel in early access with a trailer full of physics glitches and fatal error messages
Crash Bandicoot PS1
Former Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida says the PlayStation marketing team had to completely redesign Crash Bandicoot in PS1 commercials because he was too ugly for the Japanese market
American Truck Simulator
3,348 days later, American Truck Simulator is finally delivering the DLC I've been waiting for longer than Hollow Knight fans have been anticipating Silksong
A screenshot from the Balatro: Friends of Jimbo reveal trailer, showing a card with The Witcher's Geralt on the front.
Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke says indie poker roguelike Balatro was his 2024 GOTY, beating out Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Astro Bot, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
The Invisible Woman in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs know exactly how popular Invisible Woman is, and say that "body shape or silhouette" add to a character's popularity in a way far more innocent than the internet deserves
Terraria art showing a short-haired blond man sitting atop a grassy field in metal armor, colorful slimes on either side of him
Ahead of Terraria's sixth final update, one dedicated fan has led the creation of the sandbox survival game's ultimate (and first) modpack
Latest in News
Wreckfest 2
Devs behind beloved destruction-focused racing game Wreckfest launch the sequel in early access with a trailer full of physics glitches and fatal error messages
Crash Bandicoot PS1
Former Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida says the PlayStation marketing team had to completely redesign Crash Bandicoot in PS1 commercials because he was too ugly for the Japanese market
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
The Russo Brothers say Robert Downey Jr. "tried to talk us into" doing another Avengers movie but they "said no" until they heard the pitch for Doomsday: "That story has to be told"
American Truck Simulator
3,348 days later, American Truck Simulator is finally delivering the DLC I've been waiting for longer than Hollow Knight fans have been anticipating Silksong
A screenshot from the Balatro: Friends of Jimbo reveal trailer, showing a card with The Witcher's Geralt on the front.
Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke says indie poker roguelike Balatro was his 2024 GOTY, beating out Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Astro Bot, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
The Invisible Woman in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs know exactly how popular Invisible Woman is, and say that "body shape or silhouette" add to a character's popularity in a way far more innocent than the internet deserves