Bloomberg details how GTA 6 grew from Project Americas
Quick summary
Bloomberg's October 14 feature, based on interviews with Rockstar leaders, traces GTA VI from a broader 2015 concept to Leonida and explains the delays. These development-history details are attributed to Bloomberg and have not been separately confirmed in an official Rockstar statement.
From two continents to Leonida
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that early planning began in 2015 under the codename Project Americas. The initial idea included large areas of North and South America before Rockstar narrowed the game to Vice City and the surrounding state of Leonida. These details are attributed to Bloomberg's reporting and interviews, not a separate official Rockstar statement.
The feature is based on Schreier's visit to Rockstar North in Edinburgh and interviews with senior Rockstar staff. It offers a development history rather than a new gameplay announcement.
Why development took more than eight years
According to the report, Red Dead Redemption 2 absorbed resources early on, while the pandemic, staff departures and the scale of GTA VI added further pressure. Rockstar leaders described no single cause for the long schedule.
Technical lead Phil Hooker said the team could have met an earlier schedule, but not with the game it wanted to make. Rockstar's official page still lists November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The budget remains undisclosed
Rockstar publishing head Jennifer Kolbe rejected the widely repeated claim that GTA VI cost more than $1.5 billion, but did not disclose a budget.
Hooker also said the engine, tools and team built for GTA VI should help Rockstar work faster in the future. That is an expectation about its production foundation, not an announcement of the studio's next game or a release schedule.