Rockstar built LA studio for Grand Theft Auto 6 NPCs, dev lead says
Rob Nelson told Bloomberg that Rockstar Games created a dedicated Los Angeles studio to produce NPCs after projections for the game's population proved hard to meet.
Rockstar Games development lead Rob Nelson told Bloomberg that the studio built an entire Los Angeles studio dedicated to creating NPCs for Grand Theft Auto 6, according to gamespot.com. The team had struggled to hit its targets for the number of NPCs that needed to be written and animated, and Nelson described the projections for that number as horrifying.
The Los Angeles studio was staffed with writers, producers and directors who would focus exclusively on creating NPCs for the game. The shortfall in NPC production was a large reason for the first delay to Grand Theft Auto 6.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is now scheduled for release on November 19, 2026. It was originally planned for 2025, then moved to May 2026 before being pushed back again to its current date.
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in production for more than eight years and is set in the fictional state of Leonida. Development lead Phil Hooker said in earlier remarks that the team could have met an earlier deadline, but doing so would have compromised on the game it wanted to make. Rockstar has also said players will not have to wait another eight years for its next title.
Quick answers
When is Grand Theft Auto 6 coming out?
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026.
Why did Rockstar open a Los Angeles studio for Grand Theft Auto 6?
Development lead Rob Nelson said the team struggled to meet its targets for the number of NPCs to be written and animated, so the Los Angeles studio was staffed with writers, producers and directors focused only on NPCs.
Was the NPC shortage connected to the Grand Theft Auto 6 delay?
Yes. The NPC shortage was a large reason for the first delay to the game.