'' GTA VI '' TRAILER : NEW RECORDS ESSAY

There's a moment in the new Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, blaring The Pointer Sisters' Hot Together, soaked in neon lights and hurricane-glossed streets, where it becomes clear : this is more than just a game preview, it's a cultural reset.

As per the Hollywood reporter in just 24 hours. Rockstar Games' second trailer for GTA VI shattered records putting in over 475 million views across platforms, easily eclipsing its own already historic first trailer from 2023.

That earlier teaser, confined to YouTube, logged 93 million views in a day. Now, across TikTok, X, YouTube and Instagram, the numbers are staggering.

To put it in perspective ; Deadpool & Wolverine raked in 365 million views on day one ; Fantastic Four : First Steps got 200 million views; GTA VI has lapped them by a mile.

And that buzz isn't just visual. The soundtrack saw a 182,000 per cent surge in Spotify streams, proving that Rockstar's tight grasp on mood, tone, and nostalgia remains unmatched.

According to Spotify's Sunlinna Org, '' GTA cuts through popular culture almost like nothing else,'' and this latest drop is evidence enough.

The trailer confirms that the game is set in Vice City, GTA's sun-bleached version of Miami.

Fans will remember that pastel playground of 2002's GTA : Vice City, but this rebooted version looks faster, grittier, and more women-led. The main character Lucia, glimpsed in chaotic getaways and Bonnie-and-Clyde style romance, is already a fan favorite.

She brings a fresh, distinctly Gen Z edge to the traditionally men-driven franchise.

Jason and Lucia have never had it easy, and they know the odds are against them. But when a seemingly simple heist spirals out of control, they're pulled deep into a sprawling criminal web that cuts across the state of Leonida. To survive, they'll have to trust each other more than ever.

VISUALLY, the trailer is cinematic, switching between social media-styled vertical shots, dramatic flyovers, and grounded moments of small-time crime.

It feels like Spring Breakers met Uncut Gems, all on Adderall. The palette is tropical but tainted, the satire is sharp, and the game's familiar tone, equal parts irreverent and incisive, is fully intact.

News segments within the trailer parody Florida's viral chaos, while quick cuts show gator wrestlers, twerking beachgoers, and viral livestreams, suggesting a world deeply embedded in online absurdity.

Originally announced for 2025, the game's release has been delayed to May 26, 2026, but anticipation hasn't cooled. With development rumoured to exceed US$1 billion, GTA VI is by far the most ambitious open-world game ever attempted.

But if the trailer is anything to go by, Rockstar might just deliver.

The World Students Society thanks The Express Tribune.