A Free GTA 6 Competitor Is Blowing Up on Steam

Grand Theft Auto 6 is just around the corner, and fans are champing at the bit as they wait for Nov. 19. Seriously, we're analyzing whether picking up dog poop and flinging it at people could change how combat may work, for crying out loud. The closer GTA 6 gets, the further away it seems.

However, a silver lining is on the horizon for fans who may not be able to pick up GTA 6 at launch, or who want something to pass the time until they get their hands on Rockstar’s latest. So, what is it? It's a sandbox game from Kefir Games called ROB RUN.

ROB RUN is a brutal crime sandbox

Described as a “brutal crime sandbox,” ROB RUN entered Early Access on Steam on Nov. 4. Players start as low-level criminals who must “break free” and “escape squalor” by any means necessary — even if that means murdering or stealing from others. That feels plenty GTA-esque, if you ask us.

ROB RUN quickly caught players’ interest, peaking at around 140,440 players. At the time of writing, the game continues to draw a steady player base of around 100k at a time. That’s just as well, since one of the main appeals of this game that mixes co-op extraction shooter elements with open-world RPG is that players encounter only other real people, and the real-time gameplay makes every mission and interaction all the more meaningful.

It also helps that ROB RUN is free to play, letting players jump in without opening their wallets — a major advantage over GTA 6.

That said, player reaction to ROB RUN is currently tumultuous, with the game receiving a Mixed rating on Steam. Negative reviews largely come from players upset about the game's performance, with severe lag and connection issues. Those who were more positive, however, say ROB RUN has a perfect concept and is fun to play with friends.

Will ROB RUN be enough to drag people away from GTA 6 when it launches? We doubt it, but it may prove the perfect replacement for gamers looking for a free, easy alternative.