Take-Two Interactive Files Patent for New NPC Tech, Potentially for GTA 6

A patent has been filed by Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games. The patent details have led some fans to speculate that the it is for a new system to be used in GTA 6.

Grand Theft Auto 6 would probably be one of the biggest games of the current generation; there is no doubt about it. Many rumors are going around on the internet that GTA 6 is coming soon, which have already been denied by credible sources.

But that has not stopped the fans from looking for clues that uncover any information about the game’s development. The most recent clue that has got fans speculating is a patent filed by Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games.

Take-Two Interactive has filed a patent titled, “System And Method For Virtual Navigation In A Gaming Environment.” Fans are speculating that the patent is for a new system being developed for GTA 6. The new system may be for creating complex NPC behavior.

The patent begins with explaining how navigation currently works in gaming environments, i.e., through pathfinding along with linked nodes, which are based on pre-programmed instructions.

It then mentions the limitations of the current systems and how they fail or could potentially do so, for example, the bizarre traffic A.I. in Cyberpunk 2077.

Concerning the current systems and their limitations, the patent filing mentions,

“a need exists for an improved system for virtual navigation in an effort to overcome the aforementioned obstacles and deficiencies of conventional video game systems.”

The Patent

The new process being developed is described in the patent filing but is filled with technical jargon. To simplify it, the gist of the filing is that the new system can radically enhance complex life simulations by divesting the majority of virtual navigation work to the cloud.

It is true that while some games do a better job at simulating large outdoor environments, some are miserable at it. So, if Take-Two Interactive has indeed come up with a way to improve the current systems, it would have a large-scale impact on games with significant and complex open worlds.

While the patent has no mention of Grand Theft Auto or GTA 6, rumors are going around regarding its development. Since Take-Two Interactive is Rockstar Games’ parent company, many fans have speculated that the new system is for GTA 6.