Grand Theft Auto 5remains a popular title even in 2021, especially its online component,Grand Theft Auto Online. AsRockstar Games preparesGTAfor its next-gen console release, it’s a good time to revisit the leaks and rumors which surfaced aboutGrand Theft Auto 5before it was released in September 2013. Everything from narrative details to the open-world was subject to some kind of rumor or leak, with some sounding realistic and some came across as too good to be true.
Grand Theft Auto 5was highly anticipated by fans of the action-adventure franchise, as it was already very successful, and gamers were looking forward to what Rockstar Games could come up with on newer video game consoles. In 2021,GTA 5is now the best-selling entertainment product of all time, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. One look atGTA 5’slifetime salesshows how anticipated it was and how popular it continues to be. Like many other AAA titles, it was at the center of several different leaks and rumors did the rounds frequently. How many of those, if any, turned out to be true?
RELATED:Epic Games Store Reveals Most Popular Titles in 2020
False GTA 5 Leaks
A large amount of the leaks concerned themselves with supposed maps, as rumors surrounding the location of the newGrand Theft Autowere among the most popular. Every majorGTAcity had been rumored at some point before its release, from Vice City to Liberty City, and everywhere in-between. Map leaks were showing up online frequently, and ultimately none of them turned out to be accurate, despite some legitimate-looking pieces.GTA 5would end up featuring a return to a much-expanded San Andreas, despite everything claiming the contrary. Interestingly, the next iteration in the crime series looks set for similar levels of speculation, withdebunked map leaks forGTA 6hitting the web in recent months.
Further gossip speculated that the map would be gigantic and that the city of Los Santos would be larger thanGrand Theft Auto 4’sentire map. There was a lot of anticipation for seeingGTAon new consoles and some fans were hoping to see an impressive map to really push that limit. While Rockstar Games didn’t create a space as massive as some players hoped,GTA 5boasts a varied mapthat remains popular among fans.
BeforeGrand Theft Auto 5was even announced, one of the major rumors circling the internet was related to the main protagonist. Rumors suggested that for the fifth main series game, gamers would be playing as a rookie cop which would have broken the tradition of playing a criminal character. This tended to be a divisive report, with some players finding it hard to believe that Rockstar would break away from this custom, and some believed it to be somewhat credible. When it was revealed, the gaming world saw that this was untrue, and instead, fans were treated to 3 playable characters.GTA 5’sTrevor Philips, in particular, would go on to be a memorable addition to theGrand Theft Autoseries' cast of characters, and he is certainly not a police officer.
Accurate GTA 5 Leaks, But Maybe Lucky Guesses?
The information found among the leaks for the most part would end up being false, except for a few key details. Earlier reports from 2011, 2 years beforeGTA 5launched, turned out to be somewhat accurate when it came to the location and a new game-changing mechanic, multiple protagonists. Interestingly, one of the earlier pieces of gossip surrounding the game turned out to be accurate, despite having no “leaked” imagery associated with it. Los Santos was rumored as the setting as early as 2011 and this turned out to be true, though there were no supposed leaked maps that came with this information at the time. As many gamers have seen,GTA 5did go on to feature multiple playable characters in the form ofFranklin Clinton, Trevor Phillips, and Michael De Santa.
It’s difficult to determine if some information stemming from leaks is truly accurate or not. Details regarding weapon and vehicle customization, the AI of NPCs, and a lot more were doing the rounds on the internet beforeGTA 5was released. This is something of a gray area because there isn’t a way to determine if this was a fan wish list or came from a legitimate information leak. With many fans expecting newfeatures and improvements inGrand Theft Auto 6,the rumor mill can be expected to keep turning for the new entry in the series as time goes on, and many wish list-like leaks come at a dime a dozen.
For the most part, the leaked information and rumors turned out to be false, with some whose accuracy is difficult to determine. What’s important to learn fom these, as speculation continues to mount forGTA 6, is that it’s important to take any unofficial information with a pinch of salt until Rockstar Games announces something. While some unofficial details will sound realistic, there is no guarantee of how true they are until news comes through legitimate channels. False gossip notwithstanding,GTA 5is extremely successfuland looks poised to continue its dominance.
Grand Theft Auto 5is available now on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4, and is scheduled to be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2021.
