Scrapped GTA 6 Storylines Suggest Rockstar Had Very Different Plans

A new report suggests that Rockstar Games may have once explored drastically different storylines for Grand Theft Auto 6 before settling on the current version. With the game now scheduled to release on May 26, 2026, fans will have endured a nearly 13-year wait since GTA V first launched.

A Delay, But for the Better

GTA 6 was originally set to release in fall 2025, but the launch has since been pushed back to spring 2026. While delays are often frustrating, this extra time is expected to give Rockstar the breathing room it needs to polish the game and ensure the final product meets the studio’s high standards.

What Could Have Been: Alternate GTA 6 Stories

According to a report by Fravilys on Medium (spotted by ComicBook), Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser—who left the company in 2020—had previously drafted several different narrative concepts for GTA 6 that were ultimately abandoned.

These early versions allegedly included:

• A story featuring three playable characters: a corrupt cop, his son, and the right-hand man of a Colombian drug lord.
• A narrative centered on a Vice City police officer seeking revenge for her mother's death, paired with a drug smuggler.
• A plot focused on the relationship between a police officer and an ex-soldier.

These storylines would have significantly altered the tone and direction of GTA 6, offering potentially darker or more emotionally complex perspectives.

Approach with Caution

While these alleged story leaks are intriguing, fans should take them with a grain of salt. Dan Houser’s last confirmed work at Rockstar was Red Dead Redemption 2 and its online counterpart. It's entirely plausible that he contributed to multiple versions of the GTA 6 script before his departure, but there's no official confirmation that these drafts were ever fully developed.

What We Know About GTA 6 So Far

The confirmed story for Grand Theft Auto 6 follows Lucia and Jason, two characters drawn into the criminal underbelly of Vice City. Lucia starts the game having just been released from prison, while Jason is involved with drug runners and dangerous criminal circles. Some fans speculate that Jason may secretly be working with law enforcement, but that remains unconfirmed.

With a story likely full of twists, betrayals, and chaos, GTA 6 is shaping up to be a major event in gaming. Fans will just have to wait until 2026 to see how the final version unfolds.