Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told the New York Times that he spent 80 hours playing through Grand Theft Auto 6, focusing mostly on the main story while including optional missions during his February playthrough, as Polygon reported. For a developer intimately familiar with the game, the time investment shows how expansive Rockstar's open-world design has become. Average players should expect substantially longer to reach the credits.
Nelson included optional goals with narrative ramifications during his playtime: the game amounts to something approaching a life simulator, where players eat, drink, and exercise. Tennis, kayaking, skydiving, and dirt biking all fill the map. Beyond these activities, Rockstar's vision for GTA 6 hints at a game designed to keep players occupied for months or years.
GTA 6's playable area spans three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2's explorable map, which typically requires 60 hours to beat. Rockstar intends for GTA 6 to remain culturally relevant for at least a decade.
Rockstar's ambition is evident throughout GTA 6. It appears designed not just as a game to finish, but as an ongoing destination.