GTA 6 Leaker Makes Surprising Claim About Game Length

Rockstar's games are known for their sprawling size and open world environments, and "Grand Theft Auto 6" is expected to exceed the limits of anything the developer has done before. Set in a modernized Vice City (and possibly a few other rumored locales), "GTA 6" will no doubt be filled to the brim with bizarre side characters and Florida Man-inspired shenanigans for players to enjoy. Free-roaming is most of the fun in "GTA," after all, and Rockstar Games has promised that the new game will "push the limits of what's possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences." However, players who are expecting the story campaign to last a 100 hours or more may be sorely disappointed. According to a leaker with a pretty decent track record for Rockstar scoops, the length of the "Grand Theft Auto 6" story might actually be significantly shorter than Rockstar's more recent output.

Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), "GTA" hype account @GameRollGTA posted a question to get fans talking about what they hope to see from the upcoming game, asking, "[Red Dead Redemption 2's] story, to the average player, came in at around 50-60 hours long ... How long do you think GTA 6's main storyline will take to complete?" In response, noted Rockstar insider LegacyKillaHD replied, "It's not as long from what I heard. Probably 35-40 hours."

It's not as long from what I heard. Probably 35-40 hours.

— Michael (@LegacyKillaHD) December 23, 2023

To put this rumored runtime in perspective, the story campaign for 2013's "GTA 5" can be completed in just over 30 hours. However, there are a few reasons why fans shouldn't despair at this news. According to LegacyKillaHD, he was informed of the runtime for "GTA 6" at some point in 2022. Considering the huge gulf of difference between 2022's leaked "GTA 6" footage and the glimpses seen in the first official trailer, there's every chance that the game's scope has expanded since LegacyKillaHD was told of the 40-hour campaign length. 

Even if this runtime is correct, however, players will want to keep in mind that the free-roam aspects of "GTA" are typically a greater draw than the main storyline. Side quests and various other random activities have doubled or even tripled the playtime in titles like "GTA 5" and "Red Dead Redemption 2," and there's no reason to expect "GTA 6" to be a slouch in that department. "GTA 6" is still a little over a year away from release, so hopefully we'll get more clarity surrounding the length of it's story mode before the game drops in 2025.