Rockstar tried to combine the realism of RDR 2 with the madness of GTA. This affected the development of the sixth installment

For several years, Rockstar struggled to find a balance between the realism of Red Dead Redemption 2 and the familiar dynamics of GTA. Disputes over the project's direction slowed down the development of GTA VI.

Rockstar Games spent several years searching for a balance between the realism of Red Dead Redemption 2 and the familiar gameplay of GTA VI. Disputes over the project's direction slowed down development and led to the departure of some employees, as reported by Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier.

The first drafts of the game appeared more than a decade ago: the team started with a map and studying real Miami, planning to make the streets narrower. However, active development began much later, at least four years ago. Until 2022, Rockstar was still determining the game's content, and work on the details continues to this day.

Since 2019, developers have been trying to combine the realism of RDR 2 with the dynamics of GTA. Amid disagreements, some employees left, although Rockstar's staff grew from approximately 2,400 people in 2018 to 4,800 today.

Even the interface changed: the team prepared several options for the weapon wheel, but ultimately returned to the design shown in the Netflix presentation. According to Schreier, Rockstar itself proposed the idea of presenting GTA VI on the platform.