Inside the scrapped GTA 6 story featuring a corrupt cop and a cartel lieutenant

In a twist to the long history of GTA 6 development, several credible leaks have disclosed that Rockstar Games initially had in mind a much darker iteration of the game. In creative direction by Dan Houser, the abandoned 2016 narrative had a morally conflicted Vice City police officer, his troubled son, and a cartel lieutenant, each with personal motives and a common fall into crime.

But this ambitious vision never materialized.

A gripping crime story filled with corruption and creative disagreements behind the scenes

The canceled plot was a significant departure from GTA's usual satirical bent. Centered around it was a moral Vice City police officer who becomes involved in organized crime to rescue his son from drug addiction. The son, a Cuban-American attempting to flee the world of drugs, provided an exposed, personal viewpoint. A third lead was the second-in-command of a Colombian narcotics lord, running Vice City-based narcotics trafficking while working on launching his own empire.The tale, informed by the characteristically storytelling-driven Houser, envisioned a slow-burning thriller predicated on moral decay, family obligation, and ethical ambiguity. It was said to be more realistic and more dramatic than any GTA game before it, being likened to crime sagas instead of open-world mayhem. Insider sources alleged the tone of the story was "too dark" for the direction of the franchise, which in turn saw it cancelled by Take-Two Interactive in late 2016.

Why Rockstar dropped its darkest game so far

It has been reported that the story had been in production for more than a year before it was canceled. The creative conflicts between Rockstar's writing staff and Take-Two's executive ranks are named as the primary cause. Another reason was a need to rebrand GTA 6 with a wider, perhaps lighter audience in mind, leading to a complete narrative overhaul.Following this cancellation, Rockstar pursued several new directions: one with a female police officer and a smuggler in 2018, and the other with an ex-military protagonist in 2019, both were ultimately abandoned.

Dan Houser's 2020 exit from Rockstar is generally thought to be linked to these constant rejections.Now, GTA 6 has Jason and Lucia, a Bonnie-and-Clyde-like pair of criminals. Although intriguing, it's a definite divergence from the lost vision of the franchise, a rich, character-centric crime epic that could have been Rockstar's most audacious tale to date.The 2016 draft of GTA 6 is an interesting "what if" moment in gaming history. Though its storyline's dark elements may never find their way to players, it shows the creative bets Rockstar once weighed and the trade-offs behind each megahit game.Also Read: GTA 6 trailer 2 shows Lucia attacked mid-heist on a plane, fans spot betrayal plot