Is GTA 6 Reusing GTA 5 Assets After All This Time, or is it Teasing a Heavy GTA 5 Connection?

GTA 6 may have been delayed, but Rockstar Games went out of its way to release a new trailer alongside the official release date. The latest trailer featured more context about the main protagonists, setting, and more. However, some fans think there is a deeper connection with the larger GTA universe.

GTA 6 Could Pay Homage to a Long-Running Joke

The gaming community has been waiting for the release of GTA 6 ever since the previous game was released, but game development takes longer than usual nowadays. Rockstar Games read the terrain and realized this was the perfect opportunity to release a second trailer to give fans something to hold them over. While the trailer was flashy and full of impressive detail, some fans caught something that could tie it back to GTA 5.

During a mission in the previous game, Michael’s yacht was stolen, leading to an exciting chase sequence on the Los Santos highway. It was one of the earliest missions to showcase how far the developers have come in level design and had minor story implications. At the end of the mission, the yacht was stolen and never seen again, but this was the first step in Michael taking Franklin under his wing and a newfound friendship with Jimmy.

In the second trailer of GTA 6, a similar yacht was seen on Jason’s property. Perhaps Jason had a trip to Los Santos a few years ago and decided to make an extra buck by stealing boats, or he happened to stumble upon it in Vice City. This wouldn’t be the first time the developers brought back an item or character for a new installment, like how Phil Cassidy was briefly teased in the recent trailer.

I fucking called it! It was the one thing I said had the highest likelihood of being in GTA 6. https://t.co/VH2ChqXOFx

— DarkViperAU (@DarkViperAU) May 8, 2025

While the potential connection is there to bridge the two games, this could also be Rockstar Games’ attempt to reuse older designs and assets to cut costs. This approach could solidify that both games are connected and in the same shared universe to give players a sense of familiarity and nostalgia, especially since the last game was released 12 years ago.

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