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Rockstar Has Released Its First GTA 6 Trailer
After early leaks, Rockstar Games has now officially revealed the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, which will revisit Vice City in 2025.
After a now-suspended account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a teaser trailer for the highly-anticipated GTA 6, Rockstar Games quickly responded by publishing an official version in full via its YouTube channel.
The trailer confirms several small details and rumors that have come to light about GTA 6 over the last two years, including the game’s Vice City setting and female protagonist (a first for the series). The trailer also confirms the game’s 2025 release and hints at a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired story.
In a later press release published yesterday, Rockstar added that the game — which has now been ten years in the making — would be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X / S.
The GTA 6 trailer, which features the usual guns, fast cars, and ill-gotten cash, is set against the backdrop of Vice City, a fictitious version of Miami, Florida. Meanwhile, we also meet one of the game’s protagonists, a woman named Lucia, who seems to be on a crime spree with her boyfriend after recently being released from prison.
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The press release does add a few more facts about the upcoming game, stating: “Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet”.
GTA 6’s reveal has been rife with leaks from hackers and employees. Earlier this year, a UK teenager was found responsible for a leak that distributed 90 in-game videos from the upcoming title. Additionally, this week, TikTok footage emerged of the game that is thought to have been leaked by the child of a Rockstar employee.
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Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
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The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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