Highlights
- Former Rockstar developer Joe Rubino sees a bigger role for creators in GTA 6.
- AI tools could reshape how major games are developed.
- Rubino says studios need to adapt to changing development models.
Former Rockstar Games developer, Joe Rubino, believes the next major shift for Grand Theft Auto (GTA) could come from giving players more control over content creation. In an interview with Eldorado.gg, the developer said safeguarded user-generated content (UGC) could eventually allow GTA 6 players to build, publish, and monetize their own stories inside Rockstar's universe.
Rubino worked on Red Dead Redemption, GTA V, and Max Payne 3 as a virtual cinematography specialist and cutscene product owner.
He argued that creator tools could build on the existing GTA roleplay ecosystem, where communities already develop businesses, characters, and narratives. His proposed system would protect Rockstar's intellectual property (IP) while allowing creators to share in revenue.
“I want players to create their own universes within the universe that I give them,” Rubino said. He does not expect such tools to be an immediate priority, given the amount of content Rockstar has already created, but believes companies with large IPs will eventually need creator ecosystems.
AI Could Reshape How GTA 6's Era of Development Works
Rubino also described GTA 6 as potentially one of the last blockbusters produced through traditional mega-scale pipelines. He pointed to lengthy production cycles, outsourcing, fragmented departments, layoffs, and rising development costs as evidence that studios need different methods.
His proposed solution is AI-assisted production.
Through Cinepipe AI, Rubino says creators can move assets between animation, cinematography, and 3D workflows, allowing smaller teams and solo developers to prototype faster and fail cheaply. He believes this could eventually reduce production costs and change game pricing.
Rubino also supports clearer AI disclosure, arguing that stores should explain how AI was used rather than treating it as one broad category.
Rockstar's Development Model Remains an Exception
Rubino described Rockstar and Naughty Dog as rare studios with the resources, leadership, technology, and proven results needed to sustain long development cycles. He recalled Rockstar milestones as driven by developer commitment rather than mandatory overtime and described his preferred future as a “reverse crunch,” where better tools allow teams to finish earlier.
He pointed to Swedish studios and Helldivers 2 as examples of smaller teams using focused development and technology effectively. He also warned that publishers such as Electronic Arts (EA) and Ubisoft must modernize without losing their identity or player focus.
GTA 6 remains scheduled for Nov. 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has not confirmed Rubino's proposed UGC or monetization features.
