'GTA 6' release date news update: Delayed release could be a blessing in disguise

Developmental work on the sixth installment of the massively popular "Grand Theft Auto" ("GTA") franchise may have been delayed indefinitely, but fans of the game continue to hope for favorable news about the rumored title. Recent rumors claimed that "GTA 6" may be released as a virtual reality (VR) game.

A source reported that recent cancellation rumors may be unfounded and that fans need not worry about the fate of "GTA 6." On the contrary, the delay could even provide game developer Rockstar with more time to incorporate fresh new features.

It was reported last March that preliminary work on "GTA 6" had begun two years after the initial release of "GTA 5."

But in April, Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North and lead developer of the "GTA" series, filed a lawsuit against both Rockstar and its parent company Take Two Interactive over unpaid royalties amounting to $150 million. The companies filed a countersuit against Benzies soon after and the on-going legal battle could be the reason behind the delay of "GTA 6." This, however, does not mean that work has completely stopped.

In 2012, Rockstar reportedly posted an ad seeking to fill a position for the engine development of its next-gen systems. The ad mentioned plans to create "cutting-edge architectures and high performance systems," which seemed to hint at some possibly revolutionary features that could be incorporated in "GTA 6."

Latest speculations point at a possible VR-capability feature along with a set of new maps that would be unique to the entire franchise.

In 2012, then Rockstar President Benzies told Digital Trends in an interview that he wanted to develop one GTA game that incorporated all of the cities introduced in the series. But now that Benzies no longer works with Rockstar, it is unclear whether or not the game developer will incorporate Benzies visions into the upcoming "GTA 6."

The game is rumored to be released between 2018 to 2020.