GTA 6 Leaker Says Rockstar's Next Game Is A Sequel We've Waited 25 Years For

Published Sep 29, 2026, 5:12 AM EDT

Paul Farrelly is a Contributing Writer for Screen Rant’s Gaming section and the founder of GeekGasm.org, a site dedicated to celebrating all things gaming, from triple A blockbusters to weird and wonderful indie hits. Based in Louth, Ireland, Paul has spent years writing about games, pop culture, and tech, turning his lifelong love of gaming into a career that lets him talk (probably too much) about what makes this industry so endlessly fascinating.
He’s previously written and collaborated with several entertainment outlets, including LADbible, gaining a wide perspective on how gaming fits into today’s pop culture conversation. His work blends genuine enthusiasm with thoughtful analysis, exploring how design, storytelling, and community have made gaming one of the most creative mediums around.
When he’s not glued to a controller or keyboard, Paul’s usually spinning vinyl, plotting his next horror marathon, or debating which Resident Evil entry really reigns supreme.
 

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No doubt, 2026 will be the year dedicated to Grand Theft Auto VI. With time getting ever closer to that tasty November 19 release date, the excitement among fans is palpable. Rockstar Games are about to deliver the biggest and possibly most profitable entertainment experience of all time and if the recent Netflix reveal is anything to go by, they're set to deliver in spades! But what comes next? Once the dust settles on Grand Theft Auto VI, what will Rockstar Games do next? Red Dead Redemption 3 perhaps or Bully 2? Well one leaker seems to have the answer . . . and it's a doozy.

A renowned leaker over on GTAforums has let slip what they claim to know as the next game coming out from Rockstar Games after Grand Theft Auto VI. Leaks occur all the time and taking the information with a pinch of salt is essential, but this one might be correct. Reason being, Shahanshah made claims about Grand Theft Auto VI way back in 2003 and most of them appear to be correct based on official reveals recently. If they truly have insider information, then their claim about Rockstars' next game is certainly not something to scoff at.

Source: Rockstar Games

Set in San Francisco and somewhere between 1968 and 1974, Rockstar Games' next game after Grand Theft Auto VI is predicted to be a sequel to L.A. Noire. It's not expected to release until 2030, giving Rockstar Games plenty of time to earn truck loads of cash from Grand Theft Auto VI and GTA Online across all the platforms before focussing on L.A. Noire 2. With Cole Phelps' story well and truly concluded, this new tale will take place decades later and focus on the Zodiac Killer murders of the late 60s.

With the original game having such a focus on face scanning and having gameplay mechanics hinging on facial expressions and tells, the sequel is set to take all this technology to the next level. According to the leaker, Rockstar Games are aiming for L.A. Noire 2 to be the best looking game ever made. Of course, if it's set in San Francisco, it most likely won't be called L.A. Noire 2, but it will be a successor and sequel to the 2011 detective drama that sold over 7.5 million copies during its lifetime.

Although most Rockstar Games' fans were hoping to see Red Dead Redemption 3 sooner rather than later, an L.A. Noire sequel is still very welcome. Upon hearing the news, most fans are overjoyed at the prospect of a sequel to L.A. Noire and hopeful that the leaks are true. Over on X, commentors had the following to say about the leaked news:

Please let this be true. LA Noir was a masterpiece.

And:

Thought a Max Payne sequel (not talking about the coming remakes) would be next, but this sounds even better, hope this is true

While another addressed the time left to wait until a 2030 release:

Zodiac killer story + LA noire?! Worth the wait.

Not all gamers were as optimistic though and some are struggling to beleive that the leak might be true. One such commentor said the following:

2030 is impossible. Rockstar is finishing GTA 6 and will launch its multiplayer spin-off next year. squeezing out a brand-new game while supporting GTA 6 and Online in a span of 3 years is impossible for Rockstar

And another:

No way R* will make a game outside of GTA lol. They cancelled all the GTA5 SP DLCs for Online. Only reason why they made RDR2 was to milk it’s online and it failed hard. R* themselves won’t make a SP game at most outsource the IP like they did with Remedy’s Mad Payne remakes.

Whether the leak is to be believed or not remains to be seen and until we hear something from official channels, it's up to the fans to speculate. But with amazing games still to come in 2026 and beyond, there's a lot to distract us gamers while we wait to hear more from Rockstar Games. Me personally, I'd like to see another Max Payne game set in a retirement home with an older Michael De Santa and Trevor Philips as Max's roommates. That might even blow Grand Theft Auto VI out of the water. We can but dream!

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