Ryan Woods, a Principal Engine Programmer at Rockstar, has been working exclusively on GTA 6 since 2020. His LinkedIn profile reveals some of the cutting-edge technologies that will power the game, including ray tracing, ray-traced global illumination, and procedural generation for objects and environments. Woods has been overseeing the design, development, and optimization of Rockstar’s in-house RAGE engine.
His responsibilities include enhancing rendering, physics, AI, and memory management to support the game’s intricate open world environments and simulations. Collaboration with technical leads, producers, and directors has been essential in defining the vision and architecture of the engine systems.
Innovative technologies powering GTA 6
Woods has also been conducting performance profiling and optimization to ensure seamless real-time rendering and processing across various platforms, including next-gen consoles and PC. The integration of ray tracing and procedural generation is a key focus to enhance the game’s visual and experiential quality. Procedural generation could be used to ensure that small objects aren’t repetitively placed throughout the game world, freeing developers from manually positioning every item.
Interestingly, Woods has since updated his LinkedIn profile, removing specific mentions of the RAGE engine, procedural generation, ray-tracing, and PC as a platform. However, his profile still states that he “spearheaded the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as advanced lighting and memory techniques into the engine pipeline to push technical boundaries and game development/engine tooling.”
Rockstar’s commitment to innovation is further echoed by a recent tease from a representative, claiming the team is working on “absolutely mind-blowing things.” Former GTA 6 designer Leslie Benzies has also promised that the open-world sequel will “blow people away” and be talked about “for ages” because Rockstar has “raised the bar again.”
GTA 6 recently won the Most Wanted Game award at the Golden Joystick Awards 2024, increasing the anticipation for its release. As Rockstar continues to integrate advanced technologies into their game development, gamers worldwide are excited to see how these innovations will shape the next installment of the beloved franchise.