GTA 6 Rumours

I have two friends who are very reliable and have worked for places such as Kotaku and PC Gamer. They relayed this information to me. I also have a very dear friend who works for Rockstar, he won’t confirm the details, but he won’t deny them either. Normally, if something is not true, he’ll flat out deny, but here he just laughed and said “you know I can’t talk about that stuff bro” sooooooo I think we’re gold boys!

The next GTA title has been in development since 2012 (1 year before GTA 5 launched). Production didn't actually pick up properly until mid 2015. Even then it was on ice while the teams focused on RDR2.
It's another Rockstar Worldwide Production, not just one or two studios, but all.

Codename is PROJECT AMERICAS.
Set in both Vice City and a new fictional location based on Rio de Janeiro, with some linear missions taking place in Liberty City (not open world), think Ludendorff in GTAV. Also been recently hearing about Cuba but I ain’t sure?
Game will balance realism and arcade. WON'T be as realistic as RDR2.
One playable protagonist this time. Male, not female, despite supposed leaks.
Set in 1970s-1980s.
You play as an up and coming drug lord-wannabe named "Ricardo". Another key character called “Kacey” is a part of the narrative. You start off as a grunt doing runs as a cocaine smuggler from Vice City to the new large South American area (and visa versa?) before making connections with big time drug lords and making your way up. Multiple cities. There will also be a GIANT prison which will play a part in the game.
Will feature a “CHAPTER” system similar to a Tarantino flick or RDR2.

Weather is a heavy focus. Hurricanes, floods, etc.
Buildings change over the eras, vehicles too. This causes headaches apparently but they managed to nail a pipeline and get it working. So older, rare classic cars get more expensive as time progresses etc. Full economy. Next level.

HEAVILY inspired by Netflix's Narcos.
They want to have an incredible 70s/80s soundtrack, but jury is still out on that one.
A younger Martin Madrazo will make an appearance as will his father who is a big drug lord at the time. You do some missions for the Madrazo family involving hits on other gangs.

Drug empire building is a mechanic similar to Vice City Stories but bigger. MUCH bigger. Think the GTAOnline system and dial it up to 10. There you have it.
You can only have weapons on your person. No arsenal in your back pocket. Think RDR2 and Max Payne 3.
Your personal vehicle (similar to GTA5 but can now change it) will be like your horse saddle in RDR2. All your equipment is stored in the trunk. Similar to LA Noire. You also store your body armour in the car. If you wear it, it appears, no longer just an invisible thing lol.

There will be tons of subtitle reading. Think Max Payne 3 amounts. Because the characters speak the language they're native to. Very immersive. Like watching an episode of Narcos. Whenever you're in South America, don't expect to hear much English. Vice City however is a mix of everything. Mostly English though.

Last bit of narrative info, it will discuss topics such as HIV and the immigration crisis of the time. A fictional version of Fidel Castro etc. Though I’ll be PISSED if our protagonist dies from AIDS or some ****.
Next Gen only. Not PS4/XB1.
Game is now their primary focus, alongside another title (which I believe to be Bully 2).
Game is still in Pre-Alpha so names, locations, details could and probably will change.
No ETA on a release date.