Rockstar Games has sent out a flurry of copyright strikes against online creators, but this does not have to be all bad news for fans of Grand Theft Auto. The developer of the Red Dead Redemption and GTA series has a history of issuing s to online creators prior to the release of a new game. With news about GTA 6 already being teased in early 2022, this could mean Rockstar is planning to announce something about the title in the coming weeks.
Indeed, if the s serve as a sign for an announcement about a new game, then Rockstar has all but confirmed that news about GTA 6 will be coming soon with how strict it has been in enforcing its copyright. In August 2022, Mike Dailly - one of the original creators of the GTA series - shared that Rockstar issued copyright strikes against videos he posted of prototype content from the first two games in the series that he created. Such a decision by the game publishing company has come across as egregious to fans of GTA, but stirring up such a controversy about a game like the original GTA that is not available for digital purchase on any platform could just be a way to drag attention toward the company while also controlling the perception of its work.
See, Rockstar and Take-Two did almost the exact same thing leading up to and around the release of GTA: The Trilogy in late 2021, during which time they issued a slew of copyright strikes and s towards modders of GTA 3, GTA 4, and Vice City. This wanton targeting of fan creations for decades-old titles may have been the publisher’s method of clearing the playing field of competition while also stirring publicity around to remaster. With even more copyright strikes in 2022 mirroring those in 2021, Rockstar is likely repeating this process in anticipation of an announcement about GTA 6.
What Rockstar's Copyright Strikes Might Mean For GTA 6
The more recent copyright strikes against online creators could also illuminate information about the game. When Take-Two issued s toward modders of GTA 3 and 4 prior to the release of GTA: The Trilogy, this was perceived as Rockstar's way of dragging attention toward the improvements it made on the games in or related to The Trilogy and away from fan-made mods that already enhanced those games. Since Rockstar has issued copyright strikes to one of the series' creators for GTA 1 and 2 content as well as popular GTA 5 modder LukeRoss, this could mean that GTA 6 will more closely relate with these three titles than other entries in the series.
Though there is still so much mystery surrounding GTA 6, it’s beginning to seem inevitable that news on it will soon come. Rockstar targeting online creators for modding old games - and even a creator of the series - with copyright strikes can really only be happening for the publicity that comes with controversy. So while it is unfortunate that creators are forced to remove their work from the internet because of Rockstar’s s, hopefully a GTA 6 announcement will prove it was all not in vain.
