GTA 6 bringing back feature we've not seen since San Andreas

The end of the year is almost in sight which means that the year of Grand Theft Auto VI is almost upon us.

If all goes to plan and GTA VI isn’t subject to any major delays, that is.

While 2024 has brought us some stellar releases, it hasn’t quite been as stacked as 2023.

I have a feeling that 2025 though is going to be another one for the record books.

Alongside GTA VI, 2025 is also now due to bring us Civilization VII, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Avowed, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Monster Hunter Wilds, Atomfall, Borderlands 4, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, The Dark Pictures: Directive 8020, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Fable, Ghost of Yōtei, Little Nightmares III, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends Z-A, South of Midnight, and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam.

And that’s just to name a few. Just listing those titles has sent a course of excitement buzzing through me.

Today though, let’s stick to what is arguably going to be the year’s most monumental release: GTA VI.

The game will reportedly bring back a feature that hasn’t been seen in the franchise since the launch of San Andreas back in 2004.

Let’s watch that Ghost of Yōtei trailer one more time. I can’t stop myself.

I want to preface this by saying that you should take the following rumour with an enormous pinch of salt.

More salt than I have on my Friday night chippy tea.

YouTuber Legacy Killa HD reveals that they’ve heard that GTA VI will bring back the basketball mini-game.

Legacy Killa HD went on to add that he was under the assumption that the team at Rockstar Toronto were working on the mini-game although suggested that it might have been culled after devs were dissatisfied with the quality.

Hm. I do wonder whether that’s a get out of jail card for the leaker, hence that generous pinch of salt.

The YouTuber further went on to compare GTA VI’s gameplay to that of Red Dead Redemption 2 but didn’t really expand on the specifics.

The return of basketball would be welcomed, although nor would it be a total disappointment if this rumour proves to be false.

If GTA VI is comparable to GTA V then we’ll be just fine.