With almost 13 years since the last major GTA game, fans are growing impatient. Despite less than six months until GTA 6 launches on November 19, one ambitious fan is trying to build their own version before Rockstar delivers the real deal.
AI Startup Founder Takes on GTA 6
Earlier last week, AI startup founder Ziwen Xu revealed plans to create a version of GTA 6 using Claude's latest model, Fable 5. He believes he can vibe code a worthy competitor to Rockstar's open-world game before the November 19 release date.
“Day 1 of building GTA 6. Still feels fake typing that out,” Xu wrote on June 10. “The goal: beat the real GTA 6 to launch. Ambitious, probably stupid, doing it anyway.”
Progress So Far
On day one, Xu shared a blue pill-shaped blob jumping around grey blocks. By June 14, the project had a controllable protagonist, a character model, a city with moving cars and NPCs, and an in-game Instagram phone app.
Xu upgraded to Claude Max 20x ($200 per month) and opened two accounts to handle the extensive processes. However, the project stalled after Claude's Fable 5 model was shut down over security fears, forcing Xu back to the older Opus 4.8 model.
Mixed Reactions Online
Once finished, Xu hopes to release the game on Steam. Reactions have been mixed. Some X users ask when it will be playable, while others foresee Take-Two intervention. “You're not actually building GTA 6. I won't be surprised if Rockstar and Take Two shut this down soon,” one comment reads.
Others are impressed by the rapid progress. “Day 4 and it already has real movement, a collapse system, and an intro video. Rockstar really took 8 years for this,” writes one user. Another adds: “I knew AI potential is insane, but I never thought it would create games on its own. And not simple games like Tetris, but serious projects like GTA.”
Can AI Compete with Rockstar?
Whether this project becomes a real competitor remains uncertain. Much of what we see so far resembles ‘AI slop,’ especially the generated intro video of a news reporter and a man riding an alligator. Given mainstream gamers' skepticism of AI in game development, it's unlikely this replica will compete with the real GTA 6. But Xu seems determined to prove the world wrong.
