Grand Theft Auto 6 fans were shocked and horrified over the weekend when Rockstar announced GTA 5 protagonist Michael de Santa’s return to the series — but don’t worry, he doesn’t look all that bad. Michael was one of three playable characters in GTA 5‘s campaign, along with Franklin Clinton and Trevor Phillips.

Michael is set to appear in the upcoming GTA Online update, A Safehouse in the Hills, but he looks nothing like you remember him. A Reddit post by PIzzafriedchicken points out just how old Michael looks in the update: his hair is graying, and his face is significantly more wrinkled.

Michael’s Return Is A Stark Reminder

GTA 6 Has Been A Long Time Coming

Michael looks perfectly fine in the update, if just a little bit older, but the reveal served as a one-two punch of uncomfortable revelations for GTA Online players. First, that real years have been passing in GTA Online this entire time; and secondly, that we’ve waited so long for GTA 6 that the previous game’s protagonists now look visibly older.

To be exact, GTA 5 first released in 2013; it’s now been 12 years since we first got acquainted with Michael. If we assume that matches up exactly to the amount of time that’s passed in GTA Online, and that Michael’s stated age of 45 in the original game was accurate, he’s now 57 years old as of his latest appearance; more than old enough to start claiming his AARP benefits.

As one commenter pointed out, GTA 6 has taken so long that we could witness another generation in GTA 5 before the sequel comes out, literally.. Says Lower-Penalty-2550, “At this pace we will witness Jimmy’s kids in GTA5.” Seeing as how GTA 5 has already been available on three separate console generations, it’s not too much of a stretch.

GTA 6 Is Still Months And Months Away

We’ll Keep Waiting

Custom Image by Lee D’Amato

This whiplash at GTA 6‘s development time is unlikely to get better any time soon. The next major release in the landmark franchise was recently pushed back to a November 19, 2026 release date – the second time it’s been delayed, first out of 2025, and then out of summer 2026.

There’s even a rumor that GTA 6 could be delayed again, perhaps into 2027. While this is unsubstantiated at the moment, it’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility, and the final product appears to be far enough away to say so with any certainty.

While rumors still swirl around Michael’s potential appearance in GTA 6, it’s nice to see the series hasn’t forgotten about its previous protagonists, if nothing else. Still, we’re looking at a wait of at least 13 years by the time Grand Theft Auto 6 finally comes out, if not more like 14.