Of all the trends across gaming in 2022, crypto is simultaneously the dumbest, most infuriating, and funniest. Publisher after publisher has asked, “Wouldn’t you like to make money playing our game?” only to be told, “No, we want to have fun.” Still, everyone from Ubisoft to Square Enix is shooting their shot on NFTs and other blockchain-based affronts to decency. That’s led to rampant speculation about who will fall into the crypto trap next. One rumor making the rounds recently says Rockstar Games may introduce cryptocurrency into its biggest franchise. Here’s why that’s not likely to happen (or at least a very bad idea).

Rumors have been swirling that the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 will involve cryptocurrency in some way. The most common claim is that completing some missions will grant players cryptocurrency instead of in-game money and allow them to trade that fake money with other real players. That particular idea actually dates back to June 2021, in a tweet from prominent leaker Tom Henderson.

Henderson attributes the leak to an unnamed source, with an unclear connection to Rockstar Games. The dubious claim has circulated for the past year, and recently multiple outlets and leakers on Twitter have picked it up again. This time around, the claims are even sketchier, coming from people without a solid track record of accurate leaks and most not bothering to even allude to having sources. Rockstar Games itself hasn’t made any statements about whether or not GTA 6 will include cryptocurrency. That’s not surprising, given how Rockstar Games keeps an incredibly tight grip on leaks, even compared to the rest of the notoriously secretive…