Following the release of the extended gameplay demo for GTA 6, besides the heated discussions among players about graphics and gameplay mechanics, the emotions stemming from the long wait have also become a hot topic. From the release of GTA V in 2013 to the launch of GTA 6 on November 19, 2026, there is a 13-year gap between the two titles, leading many players to leave comments filled with nostalgia in the comment sections.
Comments sections are frequently filled with messages like "mourning those who didn't live to see this moment," with some players jokingly referring to "surviving until the game's release date" as their own GTA-style mission objective. Some players lamented that their entire school years were spent waiting for the sequel, and they even had to take time off work to experience the new game upon its release. Others shared personal stories, noting that one of the things keeping them going after accidental injuries was the anticipation of playing GTA 6. The long wait has turned this major gameplay trailer into a time capsule for the player community, witnessing the changes in players' lives over more than a decade.
Furthermore, the NPC simulation system in GTA 6 has received high praise from industry insiders. A programmer from IO Interactive, who worked on crowd AI for the Hitman series, stated that GTA 6 does not simply apply a uniform crowd behavior template, but instead simulates each passerby as independently as possible. Given the ability to render massive numbers of NPCs simultaneously, Rockstar's technical prowess is at least a decade ahead of the industry.
Data comparisons show that GTA 6 features over 600,000 NPC animations, significantly higher than the 300,000 in Red Dead Redemption 2 and the 55,000 in GTA V. The development team invested substantial manpower to refine pedestrians' behavioral logic, situational reactions, and life details, striving to ensure that residents of Leonida escape being mere "walking backdrops" and possess their own independent virtual life trajectories.