L.A. Noire 2 is Rockstar’s next game after GTA 6 claims source

| Games News Writer Published September 28, 2026 10:51am Updated September 28, 2026 10:57am Cracking the case (Rockstar) Rockstar is developing a sequel to L.A. Noire based around the Zodiac killer according to a resurfaced leak, but its release date is unclear. As we approach GTA 6’s highly anticipated launch on November 19, the inevitable question turns to what is Rockstar cooking up next? While the upcoming sequel will inevitably become a key pillar of Rockstar’s future for years to come, especially with an online component expected in 2027, it’s likely the studio is already in the early stages of its next project beyond the realms of GTA. Some might be hoping for a sequel to Red Dead Redemption 2, but according to a resurfaced post, Rockstar is working on a follow-up to 2011’s L.A. Noire. This comes from an old GTA Forums post by user Shahansha, which has recently gained renewed attention on Reddit. The post, from December 2023, shared alleged details about GTA 6, none of which can be confirmed until after the game comes out, but which new interviews with Rockstar over the past few months have lent some unexpected credibility. The post claims GTA 6 was supposed to have four playable characters instead of two. This was confirmed by Rockstar North boss Rob Nelson recently, who said they decided to focus on Jason and Lucia instead so they’re not ‘diluting the amount of player time’ with each character. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. While this is one detail within the post, with the majority being alleged story spoilers that won’t be verified until the game’s launch, it’s put renewed focus on the leak’s claim around Rockstar’s next title. According to the post (again from 2023), Rockstar was in ‘very early stages of development’ on a sequel to L.A. Noire at the time. Additionally, it’s claimed the follow-up was set in San Francisco and based around the Zodiac killer, an unidentified serial killer who murdered at least five people in the area between December 1968 and October 1969. The post further claims it will ‘probably be 2030 when it comes out’ and that Rockstar was ‘talking about doing the face scanning stuff again, but making it insane’. The original L.A. Noire famously used advanced facial recognition technology, titled MotionScan, to replicate the performances of actors within the game. While it’s still worth taking this post with a pinch of salt, earlier this year, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick did state that they were considering making more L.A. Noire games. ‘You never know,’ Zelnick said. ‘The answer broadly is we’re looking at doing something in the future with all of our intellectual property, but nothing to announce.’ L.A. Noire is an action adventure game where you solve cases as detective Cole Phelps. While there hasn’t been a sequel, an enhanced version of the game was released on Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2017, along with a VR port. There are other signs that Rockstar is cooking up a sequel. L.A. Noire’s original director, Brendan McNamara, rejoined the studio as the head of Rockstar Australia in March last year. Before the team was acquired by Rockstar, the studio was called Video Game Deluxe and worked on L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files and GTA: The Definitive Trilogy. Is it time for a sequel? (Rockstar) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: Is the next Super Mario game open world? Arrow MORE: Why I chose to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 instead of GTA 6 – Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: Grab The Witcher 3 for cheap right now to get the remaster free next week GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.