Brgames Interactive, a small Turkish developer, will launch Phantom Vice Auto in early access on Steam on November 19 – the same day Grand Theft Auto 6 arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as reported by Polygon.
Here’s the context: Rockstar Games has confirmed GTA 6’s console launch date for November 19, but hasn’t announced a matching PC release. That gap is exactly what Brgames Interactive appears to be stepping into, putting its own open-world crime game on Steam the very day Rockstar’s blockbuster ships on consoles.
Judging by the trailer Polygon reviewed, Phantom Vice Auto features free-roam driving across at least four vehicle types, a five-gun shooting loadout, pedestrians to interact with, and parkour-style movement animations. The Steam store page also promises three playable protagonists – described as a street-smart hustler, a disgraced former agent, and a cold-blooded mercenary – plus a standalone 32-player Phantom Vice Online mode, structural choices that echo the format GTA 6’s own open-world systems have set as the genre standard.
There’s a catch worth flagging: the trailer Polygon watched is more than a year old, so it’s unclear whether the November build adds any story or missions beyond what’s already been shown. Brgames Interactive’s own website reportedly lists work beginning in 2024 and, at last count, a team of three people.
Honestly, Polygon’s assessment is blunt – the game looks amateurish based on the available trailer and store-page material, and the outlet is skeptical of marketing copy that frames an early-access debut as if it were “upgraded for a new generation,” language more suited to a remaster than a first release. Polygon also draws a sharper line: no-effort clones aren’t harmless novelty, they can crowd digital storefronts and undercut smaller developers trying to build something original. But the piece also frames this specific case differently, noting the contrast between what it calls the biggest and most expensive game production ever made and three developers from Turkey choosing to launch directly opposite it anyway – a mismatch that reads less like exploitation and more like nerve.
Supporting details confirmed by Polygon’s reporting:
- Launch – Early access on Steam on November 19
- Vehicles – At least four distinct car types shown in the trailer
- Weapons – A choice of five guns
- Characters – Three playable protagonists promised on the store page
- Online mode – A standalone 32-player Phantom Vice Online mode
- Movement – Parkour animations included
What remains unclear is whether any of the store page’s bigger promises – the three protagonists, the 32-player online mode – actually exist in a playable state on November 19, or whether they’re aspirational marketing ahead of a much thinner early-access build. Polygon’s own framing cautions readers to treat the store page’s claims with some skepticism, particularly given the disconnect between an “early access” label and copy that talks about the game as though it’s already a proven hit.
What to watch: The concrete test arrives on November 19 itself, when the early-access build goes live and players can check it against the promises on the store page. Whether Brgames Interactive has used the time since that year-old trailer to add real missions and a working online mode – rather than just polish on the existing driving-and-shooting sandbox – will determine if this is a genuine indie effort or a rougher landing than the ambition suggests.
Is launching a GTA-style clone on the same day as GTA 6 a bold underdog move or just opportunistic timing? And does the concept here interest you enough to look past how unfinished it currently appears? Keep an eye on how the early-access launch actually plays out before deciding.
