"GTA V" is a video game developed by multinational video game developer and publisher Rockstar Games. (Photo : YouTube/Rockstar Games)
"Grand Theft Auto" developer Rockstar North is reportedly delaying the rollout of "Grand Theft Auto VI" mainly due the exit of Leslie Benzies, studio head and the brain behind the open-word action-adventure video game.
Earlier, it was expected that the new edition of the game would be released in 2018, but recent rumors suggest that the release of "GTA VI" may be postponed to 2019 or may be even 2020, according to Value Walk.
Since the launch of the first game "Grand Theft Auto" was released on Microsoft Windows in October 1997, the franchise has been among the highest grossing video games. Within three days of the launch of "GTA V," the last game in the franchise, it collected revenues worth over $1 billion.
As of now, Rockstar Games has shipped more than 60 million units of "GTA V," thereby making the game a very successful video game property in history. In addition, the online version of the game, "GTA Online" continues to rake in huge revenues for the developer and publisher.
In fact, millions of fans of the franchise have been eagerly waiting for the release of "GTA VI," which was supposed to coincide with the launch of Sony's new gaming console PlayStation 5 in 2018. Now, the delay comes as a major disappointment them
While Rockstar North started working on the next edition of "GTA" since December 2015, now the developer is unsure as to when they would be able to roll out the game. Benzies' exit from the company after nearly two decades of association last year has made matters worse for the company as well as the fans.
Earlier, Rockstar announced that Benzies had opted for a 17-month sabbatical following the stupendous success of "GTA V." However, later it told Kotaku that Benzies had quit Rockstar North for good.
Rockstar confirmed that initially Benzies went on sabbatical on Sept. 1, 2014 and later said that he would not work for the company any more, according to Kotaku.
Meanwhile, industry experts are of the view that Rockstar is likely to continue with "GTA V" maybe by incorporating a few new features and updates to the hugely popular game with a view to ensure that the fans remain engrossed in the game for at least a couple of years, until the company is ready to release "GTA VI."
Watch the video on possible locations and speculations pertaining to "GTA VI":
