GTA 5 ending theory explains how 2 fan favorites could show up in GTA 6

Rockstar Games has yet to officially announce it's working on another Grand Theft Auto game for next-gen consoles, but that hasn't halted the steady flow of internet speculation about the inevitable next installment of the beloved mayhem simulator. Now, some recent additions to GTA Online offer another clue for how GTA 5 could potentially tie into GTA 6.

If you're a little foggy on the three possible endings of GTA 5, here's a little refresher. After the Union Depository heist, you're given a handful of options as Franklin: kill Trevor, kill Michael, or team up with the other protagonists for the "Deathwish" option. All three men survive this ending, and each gets an equal share of the Union Depository haul.

Rockstar hasn't officially commented on which of the three endings is canon, and fans have passionately debated the topic in the nearly seven years since GTA 5's initial release. However, as the good folks over at ScreenRant point out, some of the DLC for GTA Online has introduced references to events that occur after the main storyline of GTA 5. In the Diamond Casino update, one character mentions the shootout at Pacific Bluffs beach club that only takes place in the "Deathwish" ending. In the earlier Smuggler's Run DLC, an NPC mentions that Trevor is still alive, which obviously rules out that "kill Trevor" ending.

So what does this mean for the prospect of Grand Theft Auto 6? Well, the series has a tendency to bring back memorable past characters for some cameos. There's more than a dozen examples of this in GTA 5 alone. If both Trevor and Michael are still alive in the game's canon ending, we could certainly see them pop up in a future game.

One of the most persistent rumors about GTA 6 is that it will focus on a Narcos-tinged kingpin adventure widely referred to as "Project Americas," partly due to the fact that it will revisit previous locations in the series, like Liberty City and Vice City.

Back in July 2019, Kotaku editor Jason Schreier shot down an early iteration of this "Project Americas" rumor, which claimed the game would take place in the 1980s. Schreier noted that "a good rule of thumb is that if a video game leak is a giant list of incredible-sounding bullet points, it's fake."

If GTA 6 takes place in the present day, or at least after the events of GTA 5, then we could see Trevor, Michael or Franklin pop up for one last score. (For real this time.) This might help to explain why Rockstar's been dropping subtle clues in GTA Online DLC that the "Deathwish" ending is canon.

Does this finally put those pesky "Project Americas" rumors to bed? Well, not exactly. Cameos from the GTA 5 protagonists definitely wouldn't rule out that whole "visiting previous locations" aspect of the alleged leaks. On the other hand, its a significant clue that the next Grand Theft Auto game probably won't take place several decades ago.

GTA Online is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.