There was a solid theory that Grand Theft Auto 6 could take place in the 1980s, but in hindsight, GTA 5 killed that idea before it could begin. Grand Theft Auto 5 was the series' biggest release, and it pushed the franchise forward in several ways. However, the progress it showed unintentionally closed off one of the sequel's most prominent rumors, as has finally been confirmed by the recent GTA 6 gameplay leak.
With the gap between Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA 6, there was plenty of time for rumors to crop up over what may be in store for the next game. Ultimately, a decent amount of these rumors turned out to be true, although fans had to spend plenty of time sorting reliable GTA 6 rumors from fake ones. In light of a huge leak - which has now been corroborated by Rockstar Games - it is now known that GTA 6 will indeed be returning to Vice City, albeit with a story set in the present day and not the '80s.
The idea of Grand Theft Auto 6 taking place during the 80s is not a completely far-fetched one. After all, Vice City took place during the 80s, and that game is still held up as a classic for the series. Reports revealing that Grand Theft Auto 6 would be taking place in Vice City led further credence to the idea, which in turn opened the possibility that the game could be a direct sequel to Vice City, possibly with Tommy Vercetti as GTA 6's villain. Direct sequels are not something that the series has done before, but it is a concept that has been floated by many fans in the past, especially in regards to GTA 6. In any case, these new leaks have put that speculation to bed, and also shine a light on why an 80s setting may have been wishful thinking.
GTA 6 Setting - Why The 1980s Would Have Limited Gameplay Variety
Despite the hype for the idea, setting GTA 6 in the 80s was never really feasible after Grand Theft Auto 5. One big reason for this is GTA 5's massive collection of weapons and cars. A lot of the things that were available in that game are more modern, and a character in the 80s wouldn't have been able to get their hands on them easily. In some cases, they wouldn't have been available at all, which could've led to less variety in of weaponry and vehicle options. It would also make it difficult for GTA 6 to have its own GTA Online, because many parts of both GTA 5 and Online made use of smartphones and the internet, two concepts that would be unworkable for a game set in the 80s.
Sequels are supposed to have more content than the games that came before them, which is why GTA 6 couldn't go back to the past. Removing a lot of resources and options that had been available in the previous game would have made GTA 6 look worse than its predecessor right from the beginning. The past few games have consistently moved forward with the technology of the time, so going so far back over the course of one game would be jarring for many fans. In short, GTA 6 can still show Vice City's grittiness, but it will have to be done in the modern day.
Another Grand Theft Auto title set in the 80s is an interesting idea. Despite that, it seems unlikely that the series would go back to that time period unless it was a spin-off, and certainly not as GTA 5's follow-up - even in light of the success of historical-focused epics like Red Dead Redemption 2. Ultimately, some Grand Theft Auto 6 rumors were right, but the 80s theory was never meant to be.
