GTA 6 fans can't contain excitement after spotting return of iconic character in new trailer

It's been an eventful couple of weeks for week for GTA fans. With so many eager to get their hands on the game, it's been a rollercoaster of a time, full of ups and downs.

First, we're told to expect a GTA 6 announcement from insider Tom Henderson, then when we get an announcement, it's a delayed GTA 6 release date.

Then, after such a big blow for fans, they hit us with a second GTA 6 trailer, which frankly almost makes up for the delay. But wait, there's more. Fans have started to pick up on the return of an iconic character in the new trailer, Phil Cassidy.

Who is Phil Cassidy?

Phil Cassidy made his first appearance in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 3. He started out as a minor character, an arms dealer which is introduced to players during the 'Arms Shortages' mission.

GTA 6's second trailer has fans hyped (Rockstar)

After that, he went on to be a much more prominent character in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Speaking of arms shortages, Phil lost one of his arms in an explosion in 1986, during the events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Yet in this trailer, he's clearly got both of his arms. Does this mean GTA 6 is in-fact a prequel to Vice City, is it a mistake from the developers, or is there something else at play here we've missed?

Considering modern phones can be seen in the trailer, it seems unlikely that GTA 6 is a prequel, begging the question, how did his arm grow back? At one point in GTA 3, he even claims to have lost his arm in Vietnam, so your guess is as good as mine over what's actually happening with this guy's limbs.

Not only does the trailer give us a hint that the iconic character might be returning, it may also give us a clue about the game's timeline thanks to the miraculous return of Phil's arm.

Will Phil Cassidy be in GTA 6?

Of course, with fans spotting Phil's inclusion in the new trailer, many are wondering if he will actually be in the game.

Considering Phil is seen advertising his shop Phil’s Ammu Nation, the chances are, even if he doesn't join us on any missions or heists, we're at least likely to see him in some form, whether that be advertising for his store like in the trailer, or in some other capacity, only time will tell.

But, that being said, and with Phil's history in the game series until now, it seems unlikely that Rockstar would be willing to spend the time to put him in the second trailer to then simply leave him out of the game.

Phil could return in GTA 6 (Rockstar)

With Lucie and Jason as the upcoming games main protagonists, giving Bonnie and Clyde vibes, they're going to need a lot of help, as well as a lot of weapons, which is where Phil Cassidy could be thrown into the mix.

Are Rockstar simply milking their marketing, or have they listened to fans who have been screaming out for Cassidy's return?

While it seems promising, we won't know until the games official launch in May next year. Or of course, until Rockstar give us more information and confirm it, but let's be honest, they do like to keep us in the dark. It's good for sales after all.