Grand Theft Auto 6 Unlikely to Transition to GameFi with Cryptocurrency Integration

The Rockstar team has announced that the trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) will be released next month. The cryptocurrency community is once again discussing whether GTA will incorporate cryptocurrencies. Given its large player base and community size, if it does integrate Web3 elements, it could be a project with great potential. However, the team may choose not to implement related mechanisms due to regulatory considerations.

GTA 6 May Be Released

The news about the sixth generation of the popular sandbox game Grand Theft Auto / GTA, known as GTA 6, has been circulating among gamers. Recently, the official team at Rockstar announced that the first trailer for GTA 6 will be released in December. Speculation within the community suggests that the game may be launched in 2024. It has been a decade since the release of the previous installment, GTA 5, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the new release.

GTA 5 has sold 1.7 million copies, making it the second best-selling game worldwide after Minecraft. With a decade of player and brand accumulation, it is estimated that GTA 6 could reach a new market high, sparking enthusiastic discussions within the crypto community.

Rumors of Cryptocurrency Integration in Previous GTA Games

For the crypto community, the most intriguing aspect is whether the game will incorporate cryptocurrency, such as utilizing certain rewards or economic systems supported by cryptocurrencies. Due to the sandbox game mechanics and rich in-game content, the crypto community believes that these games are ideal for integrating Web3 elements to provide a more immersive gaming experience.

Previous rumors have suggested that GTA 6 may introduce cryptocurrency elements alongside strengthening its stock system. However, it remains unclear whether these will be real crypto assets or simply part of the game's narrative. The official response to these rumors is yet to be addressed, leaving room for much speculation within the community.

Game Developers Concerned About Regulatory Risks

Aside from gamers' interest in cryptocurrencies, merging cryptocurrencies with game content may pose legal challenges. For instance, in countries like China and South Korea, authorities prohibit the cashing out of in-game assets, leading to the direct ban of projects like Axie Infinity and other GameFi initiatives. Rockstar, a multi-billion-dollar game developer with related business in the U.S., could attract regulatory attention from entities like the SEC if it integrates cryptocurrencies into its games.

Although Rockstar has faced scrutiny and resistance from various sectors due to the content in the Grand Theft Auto series, the team is well-versed in the processes required to comply with regulations worldwide. However, they may still carefully assess the benefits and risks of incorporating cryptocurrency mechanisms. In the past, Rockstar has stated its prohibition of third-party servers from including crypto assets, making the likelihood of GTA 6 incorporating cryptocurrencies relatively low.

In addition to Rockstar, other game developers also harbor doubts about the crypto industry:

• The gaming platform Steam banned the use of cryptocurrencies in games last year.
• Minecraft also stated its prohibition of servers using NFT elements.

However, there are still game developers with differing views on Web3, with many recent actions involving projects related to the gaming industry:

• The Illuvium team announced that they will be launching on the Epic Games platform on the 28th of this month, indicating the latter's optimism and investment in Web3 games;
• The game chain project Immutable announced a collaboration with game developer Ubisoft Entertainment, expecting to launch a new gaming project, which will be Ubisoft's second Web3 game;
• Even earlier, MapleStory game developer Nexon announced the upcoming launch of "MapleStory Universe" next year.

Await Further Developments in the Future

Given various factors such as compliance risks and player acceptance, the uncertainty remains regarding whether GTA 6 will incorporate cryptocurrency elements. Nevertheless, the increasing number of attempts in the gaming industry indicates progress, and regardless of the outcome, it can advance the development of the gaming industry and Web3, enhancing culture and technology for more engaging Web3 games in the future.