GTA 6 shoots Watch Dogs 2: the hype resurrects a forgotten gem from Ubisoft

The GTA 6 phenomenon never ceases to amaze even before it hits stores. According to Hobby Consoles, the brutal hype generated around the next Rockstar Games game has caused a gigantic uptick in players in Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft's open-world title released in 2016 that was always in the shadow of its contemporaries. A game that many consider one of the most underrated of the generation has once again become fashionable, and the reason must be sought directly in the expectation unleashed by GTA VI.

This type of rebound effect is more common than it sounds, but rarely occurs at this scale. Watch Dogs 2 shares with GTA 6 several ingredients that hook the player: a huge and lively open world, a narrative with charismatic characters, almost total freedom of action and a city recreated with obsessive care, in this case San Francisco. Players who are looking forward to making the leap to Vice City are literally killing time exploring the streets of the Bay Area. It's a clear sign that quality open-world hunger is real, massive, and there waiting to be sated.

And the wait for GTA 6 is getting long, although we already have a date: Rockstar Games has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI will arrive on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game will take us back to Vice City and the fictional state of Leonida, with two protagonists for the first time in the saga: Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval. The expectation is historic in every way. The second official trailer broke records for visualizations in a few hours, confirming that GTA 6 is the video game industry's most anticipated release in many years. Every little detail that is filtered or deduced from official materials becomes world news.

With more than a year still to go until launch, this phenomenon with Watch Dogs 2 is just the first example of what we are likely to see repeated: players rescuing open-world titles to calm anxiety. If you have Watch Dogs 2 in your library and haven't given it a real chance yet, maybe this is the best time. And if you're already a veteran of its digital streets, welcome back. The counter by the 19th of november 2026 is already underway.