Former Rockstar dev claims GTA 6 is “really gonna look like” the trailer

According to a former GTA 5 developer, the impressive graphics in GTA 6’s trailer actually represent how the final product will look.

Following an unfortunate leak, Rockstar Games unleashed the first GTA 6 teaser to the delight of millions. The trailer’s proven so popular, in fact, that it’s already become the fastest-viewed trailer on YouTube, with 90-plus million views in 24 hours.

Suffice it to say, the public is enthralled as many continue to pour over every second of the footage with hopes of finding easter eggs and the like.

The stunning visuals also continue to impress the masses. And, according to one ex-Rockstar animator, the final game will look closer to the teaser than people think.

Ex-Rockstar Games dev says GTA 6 trailer isn’t all cinematics

Mike York, a GTA 5 and RDR2 animator who worked at Rockstar for five years, recently posted a reaction video to the GTA 6 reveal. The first part of the video sees York watching the trailer in full. During the remaining 10 minutes or so, York breaks down the footage, sharing insight into things that other people may not notice.

York notes early on that it’s clear Rockstar greatly expanded upon every facet of the game world. For example, he points out the particle effects floating through the air during the first cutscene: “This is an in-game cutscene. A lot of games that you see are done with cinematics and they cut to a scene [that’s] not all in-game. It’s kind of pre-rendered.”

A little later, the developer comments on an NPC with highly detailed features, evidenced by pockmarks on his face and the texture of his dreads. York reiterated that what’s shown isn’t cinematics: “When you play this game, it’s really gonna look like this.”

According to the animator, everything in GTA titles is “all done in-game,” including cutscenes and buildings seen far in the distance. It’s why GTA takes so long to build because what goes into each project is always so elaborate.

For instance, the dozens of NPCs in the GTA 6 trailer‘s beach section are all engaged in different actions, thanks to tens of thousands of animations. From what York can tell, Rockstar developers are pushing current-gen hardware “to the limits with their level of detail.”