With Grand Theft Auto 6 said to be coming later this year, speculation surrounding its place in the franchise has become more prevalent than ever. While it will be set in Vice City, the distinction between the old and new timeline of the series makes it less than likely players will see direct appearances of characters from titles released before GTA4. Considering that faces from the fifth numbered entry are firmly on the table though, there’s one character who seems to have a greater chance of extending his legacy into the new game. Although his status as the mastermind behind the heists of the previous title makes the return of Lester Crest an appealing prospect, his personal story may contradict any incentive for him to be in Grand Theft Auto 6.
Many of the casts of prior Grand Theft Auto titles have seen their entire arcs completed neatly, with them largely resulting in any protagonist seemingly well-off by the end of their respective narrative due to their criminal escapades. Lester, as a force known to operate behind the scenes, has never necessarily been driven by the same motives as the more active members of his heist plans. This makes his potential for popping up in GTA6 higher than many others, but the details of his life’s progression in the years since the last mainline entry may have already concluded his story for good.
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Grand Theft Auto 6: The Case For and Against Reviving One of the Series’ Most Iconic Easter Eggs
Grand Theft Auto games are full of references and throwbacks, and GTA 6 could include one piece of series history as an easter egg.
Lester Crest Received One of the Happier Endings of Grand Theft Auto 5’s Cast
GTA Online Canonized Ending C
Instead of betraying Michael or Trevor during Grand Theft Auto 5‘s ending, Franklin can choose to collude with Lester and unite the group against their respective enemies in what is likely the most popular route for players to take. In the years that followed, appearances or references related to all of these characters have since confirmed that the Deathwish ending is firmly integrated into franchise lore.
Heists Seem to Be in Lester’s Past as of 2024
Several major updates to GTA Online have seen the player able to conspire with Lester on major heists, ultimately leading to him seeming to have the excess resources to fully retire as of his most recent appearance in the form of an email. It would seem that the lucrative nature of robbing The Diamond Casino and Resort was able to surpass the value of the Union Depository heist, making Lester hard-pressed to come out of his safe position for further criminal adventures.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is Unlikely to See Lucia Employing Lester’s Services
Traveling Across the Nation for the Risks of Vice City Doesn’t Compare to Retiring with Millions
From what’s been shown of Grand Theft Auto 6 so far, it appears that Lucia and her partner are going to be operating on a smaller scale than their predecessors. Robbing smaller establishments is likely to net exponentially less than what the trio of GTA5 was able to earn, meaning Lester wouldn’t have an incentive to get back into the heist lifestyle unless that dynamic shifts significantly during the game. Despite the high likelihood of him living in luxurious circumstances by the time of the next game, the only way he would logically return would probably be if he ended up desperate and in need of a crew.
Lester Could Still End Up Following a Familiar Series Arc
One of the mainstays of Grand Theft Auto‘s 3D universe timeline is the corrupt lawyer Ken Rosenberg, a character who similarly found himself living prosperously alongside Tommy Vercetti, is later seen stranded in a desert during San Andreas. His multi-game story is an endearing connection between titles, and bringing Lester back could act as an echo of this.
- Released
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2025
- Platform(s)
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PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Engine
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Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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yes
- X|S Optimized
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yes