While excitement for Rockstar Games' upcoming action-adventure title Grand Theft Auto 6 reaches unprecedented levels worldwide, player interest in Japan presents a starkly different narrative. According to a recent poll published by the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, the anticipated open-world title managed to secure only the eighth position on the country's list of most wanted video games.
The weekly survey highlights the ongoing divergence between Western and Japanese gaming preferences. The top spot in the poll went to Pokémon Winds & Waves with 567 votes, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in second place with 424 votes. Persona 4 Revival took third with 387 votes, while Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Persona 6 rounded out the top five with 371 and 329 votes, respectively. Dragon Quest Monsters 4 with 228 votes and Final Fantasy VII Revelation with 217 votes also outranked Grand Theft Auto 6, which earned 212 votes. Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Xenoblade Genesis finished behind it in ninth and tenth place.
The rankings underscore how strongly Japanese audiences favor domestic creators and role-playing games. Every title listed ahead of Rockstar's upcoming project was created by a Japanese studio, with Nintendo claiming three of the top five slots and Atlus holding two. Academic research, including university case studies comparing cultural values and studies published in Science Direct on digital gaming experiences, has long pointed out these distinct regional tastes. For instance, Atlus's Persona 6 remains highly anticipated despite having been in development for over a decade without an official release date.
The poll results arrive amidst a chaotic period for the game's production team. Roughly ten separate gameplay videos have leaked online recently, showcasing footage built on the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE). These unapproved previews emerged just days before an expected formal presentation arranged through a partnership with Netflix.
The continuous leaks, attributed to an elusive leaker known as Cyberleek, have reportedly left the development staff feeling drained and frustrated. Despite legal actions and subpoenas issued to major communication services such as Microsoft and Discord, authorities have not yet identified or detained the individual responsible for distributing the footage.
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