GTA 6 rumoured to bring back a controversial franchise feature

As we eagerly await the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, fans are in discussion about what features they would like to see return.

GTA VI features a Bonnie and Clyde scenario starring a female protagonist for the first time in Rockstar history.

Since the trailer's release, in December 2023, fans have been trying to figure out the plot of Rockstar's latest project by analysing the trailer frame-by-frame and using previously leaked footage.

But there's one feature that defined earlier GTA games that is hoped to make a comeback in the expected 2025 release.

The ankle bracelet on Lucia in GTA 6 is rumoured to bring back a beloved GTA feature / Rockstar

Previous titles in the GTA franchise including Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto IV had a feature that locked players out of certain regions on the map until more of the storyline was uncovered.

I don't know about you, but one of the most fun things to do in GTA was explore the map and see everything it had to offer, from discovering hidden easter eggs, to collectibles for secret missions.

With scenes of protagonist Lucia wearing an ankle bracelet, it might mean that players are restricted from travelling to certain areas of the map until certain story milestones are reached. This would be a cool throwback to a beloved feature in the previous games.

Some fans admit that locked map regions had its charm as it would encourage players to progress through the storyline to unlock new areas of the GTA world.

Other fan-favourites like GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas also had the feature, with CJ eventually getting to visit all three islands when players finished the plot.

Locked map regions prevented GTA players from exploring the map until they progressed through the story / Rockstar

The game would either place random roadblocks to prevent players from getting past or put the trespassers at a max star wanted level.

However, Grand Theft Auto V discontinued this feature and instead blurred out parts of the map rather than fully locking it. Some players were disheartened to not see it included, and hope to see it in GTA 6.

One fan wrote: 'I know this might sound counterintuitive, but personally I would love for this to return.

'My fondest memories in Vice City and San Andreas were completing the storyline so I could unlock new islands and find new vehicles. Despite the apparent restriction, once unlocked, the larger maps offered a sense of freedom and game progression like no other. This feature, to me, helped to define the identity of the classic GTA games.'

Another fan explained on Reddit: 'I'd prefer certain regions be locked because I'm gonna be really tempted to explore everything and that will keep me away from the main story, I'd rather experience everything the map has to offer when it's introduced to me through the story.'

• GTA 6 trailer finally gets release date
• Twitter user accurately ‘predicted’ GTA 6 release date in tweet made over ten years ago
• GTA 6 release date narrowed down after company's financial report
• Man creates his own GTA 6 Vice City and people are calling it better than the official trailer