GTA 6 to Be PS5 Exclusive? Sony Reportedly in Talks to Buy Rockstar Games Parent Company Take-Two

The PS5 may get an unexpected exclusive in Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) if a recent report is to be believed. Sony may be in talks to buy Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 hitmaker Rockstar Games as well as 2K, the publisher behind BioShock, XCOM, and WWE games to name a few. If true, it would put Microsoft's E3 2018 reveal of multiple studio purchases to shame with GTA 6 alone. That said, it's rather unlikely that Sony would actually spend on acquiring a company of Take-Two's size and stature, more so when its focus has been on first-party exclusives like God of War and Uncharted 4. However, the proposition of GTA 6 being exclusive to the PS5 would make business sense given how popular GTA V has been.

According to Marketwatch citing Joel Kulina, Head of Technology and Media Trading at Wedbush Securities, Sony "is in advanced board level discussions to acquire Take-Two Interactive in a mostly cash deal". This would value Take-Two at $130 a share. Take Two's stock climbed 4.7 percent on the rumour.

Previously it was suggested that GTA 6 may take place in two locations — Vice City and South America. While the former is Rockstar's take on Miami, players will go to South America for a few missions. The game is being referred to at Rockstar as Project Americas.

In addition to this, GTA 6 may, for the first time, include a female protagonist as one of it leads. Though there's no confirmation if you'll be able to control multiple characters like you could in GTA V.

But don't expect to play GTA 6 anytime soon. The game is slated to be available around 2022. If so, it could possibly signal the end of the PS4 and Xbox One with GTA 6 being their collective swan song as well as it being re-released for the next wave of consoles from Sony and Microsoft as well as the PC.

The source of this information is YouTube channel The Know (via VG247) that cites an “inside source”. The Know's track record is spotty at best.

As for the PS5, PlayStation 5 or whatever Sony plans to call its PS4 successor, it may be slated for a 2021 release date.

According to Tokyo-based Rakuten Securities Economic Research Institute's Yasuo Imanaka via gaming blog Twinfinite, the PS5 could be out between April 2021 and March 2022. He also says that there's no chance of the PS5 releasing before March 2020. He also considers the possibility of an April 2020 to March 2021 release window but believes it's unlikely. Aside from speculating on the PS5 release date, Imanaka believes Ghost of Tsushima will be out by March 2020 with The Last of Us Part II and Death Stranding released by  the coming fiscal year or the next (by March 2021 latest).

It appears that the PS5 launch won't just impact Sony's games division but the company as a whole, Imanaka believes. This would explain why we've seen rampant speculation surrounding the console.

In related PS5 news, it could possibly work with PS4, PS3, PS2, and PS1 games. It's an interesting move from Sony if it gets implemented as it could spell the end of remasters or re-releases that this generation of consoles is notorious for. It possibly hints that Sony is confident of the first-party games and exclusives we'll see on the PS5 too.

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