GTA 6 Graphics Details Teased In Rockstar Games Job Listing Ahead Of 2nd Trailer

We've already reported on the idea that Rockstar's next magnum opus will feature cutting-edge graphics, but we didn't have many details at that time. Now, we know a bit more: GTA VI will definitely feature ray-traced global illumination as well as some degree of procedural generation, according to a Linkedin post that has since been edited to remove these details.

Our thanks go to /u/ForwardMedicine7905 on Reddit, who screenshotted the original post on Linkedin. The poster in question wasn't some intern, but in fact a rather talented programmer by the name of Ryan Woods. Woods previously worked for EA, Obsidian, and Insomniac Games, and in all cases, he was a rendering or engine programmer. In fact, he was the "Lead" engine programmer at Insomniac on both the 2016 Ratchet & Clank game as well as Marvel's Spider-Man in 2018.

Both of those games are well-known for being visually impressive and very tightly optimized, and that bodes well for GTA VI as Woods has now been at Rockstar in the role of "Principal Engine Programmer" for four years and seven months, according to his LinkedIn page. Given that, we feel confident to take him at his word when he says that GTA VI will continue to use Rockstar's RAGE engine, and that it will "push the limits of real-time rendering and processing", at least for game consoles.

The use of ray-tracing and even ray-traced global illumination (RTGI) isn't surprising; Alan Wake 2, the Silent Hill 2 remake, and Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition all use RTGI, even on consoles. This will certainly be the largest-scale game to use it, though; it's possible RTGI will be subject to severe limitations, including perhaps being limited to the PC version.

On that note, Woods' LinkedIn post does confirm the existence of a PC version. That was never really in question, but it's nice to see it semi-officially confirmed. The question has always been "how much later will it come to PC after the console release"; most likely, we'll have to wait 9 to 15 months.

Many people in the Reddit thread were quick to downplay the mention of procedural generation as being something primarily used in the development process, but we think that's quite incorrect. Run-time procedural generation—meaning "procgen" that happens during gameplay—is quite common in games for specific aspects, such as foliage effects. Some folks pointed out that it could be used for building interiors; rumors have posited the idea that players may be able to break into any home, and procedural generation could certainly help control the file size of the game in that case.

Rockstar still hasn't announced a second trailer for GTA VI, but fans are anticipating one by December 4th owing to the fact that the original trailer was released on that date last year. Mafia: The Old Country is also published by Take-Two, though, and it's already been announced for a new trailer next month. Given that, we suspect Take-Two is going to do as little as possible to remind people that GTA VI exists.