Is Gran Turismo 8 The Reason For GT7’s Update Drought?

Two months after GT7’s chaotic 1.49 update, Polyphony Digital’s silence fuels speculation. Have they quietly shifted focus to Gran Turismo 8 development?

You might think, “Calm down. It’s only been a month!” In fact, it’s been two months since Gran Turismo 7 received its last (accidental flight simulator add-on) update, and there’s no news of a new update coming this time around, either.

Understandably, this has set off speculation about Polyphony Digital’s activities since the studio is typically consistent with its frequent updates.

Although the last update was bigger than usual (and had its fair share of hilarious bugs), it was back in July, and we haven’t heard anything since. Given that GT7 was released over two years ago, it does seem likely that the team might be shifting gears towards Gran Turismo 8.

Thankfully, the lack of updates hasn’t been entirely disappointing, as this month has been all about the release of the “Spec II” mod for the retro Gran Turismo 4. The epic revival has been keeping enthusiasts of the old-school version occupied by revitalizing the original with many huge improvements.

Has Gran Turismo 7 Reached The End Of The Road?

Despite the constant updates before now, GT7’s content is starting to feel a bit stagnant, and the updates are drying up.

The initial excitement surrounding Update 1.49, which delivered a couple of drift-friendly cars, such as the BMW E36 M3 and the Subaru Impreza, alongside a few others, has faded. Update 1.50, which followed shortly after, was just a simple bug fix that brought nothing new to the table.

Gran Turismo’s Past Release History

Fans may remember the gap between Gran Turismo 6 and GT7. Gran Turismo 6 was released in December 2013, and Gran Turismo 7 didn’t arrive until more than eight years later, in 2022. However, during the huge gap, Polyphony Digital released Gran Turismo Sport in 2017 as a more online-focused spin-off.

Such long gaps between mainline entries in the series’ history are rare. The gap between GT5 and GT6 was just over three years, and the shortest gap – between GT2 and GT3 – was only a year and a half.

Although the gaps have generally increased overall as the series progressed, the announcement of Gran Turismo 8 leaves us optimistic that the team is busy with the new focus.

What’s Next for Gran Turismo?

Kazunori Yamauchi has confirmed that Gran Turismo 8 is under development and even hinted at a “theme” for the new game. This set the rumor mill in motion, with fans speculating about potential new features and improvements.

Given this official announcement, it seems unlikely we’ll see another Gran Turismo Sport-style spin-off before GT8 arrives.

While we’re no closer to an official release date, we don’t see the lack of GT7 updates as a bad thing – we just hope it’s a sign that Polyphony Digital is fully focused on crafting the next generation.

Could The PS5 Pro Announcement Change Things?

The upcoming release of the PS5 Pro in November may have accelerated the team’s plans somewhat. However, if they had concrete plans tied to the new hardware, we probably would’ve heard something by now.

Let’s face it, though – given the negativity surrounding the announcement, the PS5 Pro could use some positive news at this point. A next-gen Gran Turismo would certainly fit the bill!

The Wait Continues

While the silence may be frustrating for fans, it’s important to remember that quality takes time, and it’s often better not to rush these huge AAA games.

As we await more information, we remain hopeful that whatever comes next will be worth the wait. Whether it’s more substantial updates to GT7 (along with amusing bugs) or a huge new announcement for GT8, we’ve got our fingers crossed for plenty more drift-related goodness either way!

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