Despite the massive levels of anticipation that surroundGrand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar is refraining from new reveals for the title until it gets closer to its late 2025 release window. The expectations and levels of hype that have followedGTA 6for the past few years have rarely been seen in the gaming industry before; fans have spent years discussing and theorizing about different potential elements of the project as the decade-plus wait for it finally draws to a close.
While fans are still completely in the dark in terms of what kind of multiplayer experiencesGrand Theft Auto 6might eventually offer, some general elements of the game’s single-player story are already known, such as its two protagonists and its major setting in the iconic Vice City.GTA 6will need to exceed the standards set byGrand Theft Auto 5above all else. An increased number of cameo appearances from pre-existing characters is one lacking element of the 2013 title thatGTA 6’s Vice City is in a prime position to improve upon.
A Few Well-Chosen Cameos Are a Must-Have For Grand Theft Auto 6’s Story
It is already obvious thatGrand Theft Auto 6is making some bold creative decisions for its main mechanics. Its move away fromGTA 5’s successful three-protagonist system in favor of dual protagonists shows a potential need for big-screen presences to find room elsewhere in the game’s narrative. Of course,Grand Theft Auto 6will revive the series' famous Vice Cityin a modern way, and may include its surrounding areas, with rumors even suggesting that the game could feature several secondary locations like tropical islands.
The rumors aroundGrand Theft Auto 6’s portrayal of tropical island locations are largely thanks toRed Dead Redemption 2’s Guarma chapter. Some fans believe this out-of-place chapter was largely an asset test for tropical environments inGTA 6.
Even ifGTA 6does just stick with Vice City and its outskirts, it seems clear that the game’s world will be much larger thanGTA 5’s, giving even more impetus for a range of characters to give life to this wider range of locations, including some familiar faces.GTA 5did very little in the way of callbacks to its predecessors, withiconicGrand Theft Autocharacters like Niko Belliconly getting small nods or dialogue mentions here and there. To compound the increased scale and ambition ofGTA 6, the game could further leave its predecessor in the dust with some big cameos of its own.
For example, one of the most obvious games thatGrand Theft Auto 6could pull from is 2006’sVice City, with the two games' shared locations being the perfect opportunity for cameo appearances.Vice City’s protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, is a great example of the kind of cameos thatGTA 6has at its disposal, with the character being in his 70s duringGTA 6’s probable 2025 setting. Sadly, Tommy’s voice actor, Ray Liotta, passed away in 2022, but a cameo by Tommy inGTA 6could still potentially happen in some capacity to honor Liotta and Tommy’s legacy within the franchise.
Rockstar Can Even Look Beyond Grand Theft Auto For its Choice of GTA 6 Cameos
Of course, there is room for some ofGTA 5’s most notable characters to appear in the upcoming game. Franklin Clinton is a great choice due to his status as the only protagonist to survive all three ofGTA 5’s multiple endings.GTA Onlinehas continued Franklin’s story following the events ofGTA 5over the years, and his heightened level of success could warrant a move to Vice City, setting up the character to appear, even briefly, inGrand Theft Auto 6.
GTA 6could also be an excellent opportunity to give some nods to Rockstar characters that exist outside the franchise itself.Bully’s Jimmy Hopkinswould surely be well-received by fans of the 2006 Rockstar classic. There are many Easter eggs that suggestBullyandGTAshare a universe, and aGTA 6appearance of Jimmy Hopkins in his early 30s could be a fantastic way to bridge two of Rockstar’s fan-favorite franchises. While the fresh gameplay takes ofGTA 5blew players away in 2013, the title was definitely lacking in terms of wider references to past Rockstar games.GTA 6is spoiled for choice in terms of the potential cameos it can scatter throughout its vibrant story.
