It’s been 13 years since Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto V, one of the most acclaimed – and controversial – video games of all time. And it’s been roughly the same amount of time since work began on its sequel, Grand Theft Auto VI, which transports the action from San Andreas (closely inspired by real-life southern California) to Leonida (based on Florida).
That’s more than a decade of anticipation, meaning there’s “unprecedented pressure” on the follow-up to meet expectations, as Rob Nelson, head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North, tells Dazed: “However, I don’t know that any amount of external pressure could compare with the pressure we put on ourselves as a team.”