Latest Rockstar patent confirms lifelike animations for Grand Theft Auto 6

What this means for GTA 6 is nothing short of a transformative experience. In-game characters, be it one of the main protagonists or the myriad of NPCs populating the streets, can react dynamically, matching weather conditions, their energy levels, and the kind of injuries they sustain. This kind of nuanced system will propel the game's immersion factor to unprecedented heights. It's as though characters aren't mere digital constructs, but living entities adept at navigating the multifaceted challenges of their environment.

Furthermore, eagle-eyed observers appear to have seen traces of the new locomotion technology in the code snippets from the leaked GTA 6 data. In fact, a prime example of this is evident in the leaked GTA 6 footage last year, like when Lucia is looting cash from the countertop in the Diner robbery clip or when Jason is crawling and pushes the boxes out of his way.

Rockstar is a company that prides itself in innovation. While its latest AAA outing, Red Dead Redemption, was critically acclaim for its lifelike animations, among others, it wasn't perfect. Certain segments felt cumbersome, hindering the gameplay, such as when you're looting. This new patent could be Rockstar's way of ironing out the RAGE Engine's kinks.

Unfortunately, all of these patents can't tell us just how far along GTA 6 is in the game's development. But, if we go by what Tom Henderson just said - GTA 6 is still coming out on or before 2025.

In the meantime, feel free to check out a recent interview with former Rockstar developer, Tony Gowland, who prefers to see GTA 6 take place in a smaller but denser setting.

Rockstar officially confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6 in February 2022. But, outside of an official statement addressing last year's leaks, it has remained silent about its development. However, this hasn't stopped Take-Two from hyping it up as a game that will set a "creative benchmark".