Are we ever going to see GTA VI? The answer is undoubted yes. GTA V, the latest in the series by Rockstar, is a wolf among sheep in the video game world. It continues to make extraordinary amounts of revenue despite having its first release way back in 2013. It has broken so many records that it’s best summed up by its crowning achievement: it’s the most profitable entertainment product ever made.
A Question Of When, Not If
So, yes, GTA VI will most definitely be coming, and despite all the rumors, we now have something that looks like tangible proof. A report published by TaxWatch UK – a think tank based in the UK who monitor and report on tax payments – shows that Rockstar has claimed £37.6m in tax relief covering the period of 2018 to 2019. They have asserted this to be linked directly to GTA VI.
Why Is It Proof?
The Video Game Tax Relief (VGTR) is offered by HMRC – the guys in charge of tax in the UK – to video game companies. The relief is for games which are ‘Culturally British,’ a rather loose definition that scores games on their British-ness.
VGTR can only be used by eligible companies to claim back a percentage of video game production costs. To take advantage of the relief, a company needs to register a game as being “Culturally British’. Rockstar has not registered a game since GTA V, and this is taken as proof that the production costs must be associated with GTA VI.
So When Can We Play It?
It’s unlikely to be any time soon – despite rumors. These games can take years to develop. GTA V’s development started after GTA IV, in around 2008. Red Dead Redemption 2 had a rough script around late 2012, and that game didn’t release until October 2018.
Looking For More?
This isn’t the first time Rockstar has been the focus of TaxWatch.