While rumors of a delay to 2026 multiply, the next Grand Theft Auto VI continues its development, and attracts the wrath of a singer.
Unveiled in December 2023 after months of rumors, Grand Theft Auto VI is in full development at Rockstar. We know nothing more than the trailer shown a few months ago, for a game that will feature a duo of heroes (a woman and a man) in a revisited Florida, which is largely inspired by Miami.
Artist Insults Rockstar
At the same time, negotiations with the artists who will integrate the radios available in the game (in cars, in particular) are progressing as best they can. Or rather very badly, as evidenced by the singer Martyn Ware, who revealed that he had refused Rockstar’s offer to integrate one of his group’s hits, Heaven 17.
For the interested party, it was the sum that pushed him to say “no” to the studio, explaining that he was only offered $7,500 (to each member of the group) to be sure of having “unlimited” rights to the music, and this, without any royalties.
For Martyn Ware, the amount is not high enough, even though GTA 6 could provide significant exposure: “A million streams only earn artists $1,000,” he explains, also inviting Rockstar to “go fuck themselves.”
He also added that he offered Rockstar $75,000, which the studio refused. Music rights, especially in games, are an opportunity for intense negotiations.
If not signed for an unlimited period, these rights can, once expired, lead to the video game being withdrawn from sale. An ill-advised threat in the case of Grand Theft Auto VIwhich is already one of the most anticipated games of the decade.
Officially still scheduled for 2025, Rockstar’s game could however be postponed by several months, to arrive only in 2026. Contacted by Tech&Co, Rockstar has not yet responded.
