L.A. Noire 2 Rumor Points to a 2030 Release and a New San Francisco Setting

L.A. Noire 2 has once again become the subject of a new rumor, and this time, the claims go beyond the usual vague suggestions that Rockstar could eventually return to the series. According to information circulating online, a sequel could be in development with a potential 2030 release window. 

If you've been waiting for Rockstar to revisit some of its older franchises, L.A. Noire 2 has always been one of the more obvious possibilities. The original game remains a particularly unusual part of Rockstar's catalog, combining detective work, investigations, open-world exploration, and its distinctive facial animation technology. 

Over the years, small pieces of information have connected to a potential L.A. Noire sequel, although none have resulted in an official announcement. 

One example involved a music playlist that was uploaded to YouTube before apparently being removed, made private, or otherwise taken out of public view. On its own, that kind of discovery does not prove much, but it became another small piece of speculation surrounding the possibility of a sequel.

The original game's development history also makes the latest rumor more intriguing. Brendan McNamara, the director of the first L.A. Noire, later worked with his own studio before Rockstar became involved with the company. That connection has led to continued speculation about whether the original creative leadership could somehow return if Rockstar decided to make another L.A. Noire game.

The latest rumor comes from a post shared on the Gaming Leaks and Rumors subreddit, where the person behind the claims reportedly has a previous record of getting some GTA 6 information right. The post claims that GTA 6 was originally planned around four characters before that detail was later discussed publicly by Rockstar's Rob Nelson. 

The same person also reportedly mentioned the relationship system before it became widely known, while another part of the criminal profile information was not publicly established at the time. Those previous claims are now being used as part of the reason some people are taking the new L.A. Noire 2 rumor more seriously, even though none of the sequel's details have been officially confirmed.

According to the new L.A. Noire 2 rumor, the sequel would be set in San Francisco and focus on the Zodiac Killer. The game is also allegedly targeting a 2030 release, giving Rockstar several years to develop the project if the information is accurate. Another major claim is that Rockstar wants to push facial scanning much further than it did in the original game and make the sequel one of the best-looking games ever released.

The source of the rumor is still the biggest reason to remain cautious.

Information posted on forums can sometimes be accurate, but that does not mean every leak should be treated as genuine. Even when someone has correctly mentioned certain details in the past, individual pieces of information can still come from educated guesses, private sources, or simple luck.

That makes the reported details more compelling than the rumor itself. A San Francisco setting would fit L.A. Noire naturally because the series is built around investigating crimes and recreating a particular period of American history. A story involving the Zodiac Killer would also provide the sequel with the sequel a real-world mystery that could fit the investigative structure of the original while allowing Rockstar to create an entirely different city and collection of cases.

The 2030 release window is another part of the rumor worth considering, especially because Rockstar does not necessarily need to use the same team working on GTA 6. If L.A. Noire 2 were being developed by another studio or a separate internal team, the project would not necessarily have to follow the same development schedule as Rockstar's main GTA projects. 

The facial-scanning claim is also particularly interesting because facial technology has changed significantly since the original L.A. Noire was released. The first game became known for its MotionScan technology, which captured actors' faces and helped create detailed performances during interrogations. 

The system looked impressive at the time, although some of its limitations are easier to notice today as modern games have developed more advanced methods of capturing and reproducing facial expressions. A potential sequel could therefore use newer technology to make character performances feel more natural without relying on the same process used in the original game.

You can already see how far facial technology has come in modern games using engines such as Decima. 

Projects involving actors like Norman Reedus have shown how closely a digital character can resemble the person performing the role. If Rockstar were genuinely developing L.A. Noire 2 today, there would be little reason for the studio to simply recreate the facial technology from the original game when newer techniques could produce more detailed results.

That also means the rumor's claim about facial scanning is not necessarily as far-fetched as it might initially sound. Rockstar could potentially use modern technology to create much more accurate expressions while avoiding some of the visual limitations of the first game. The sequel would not need to copy the original approach, and a new system could make the interrogation scenes feel more natural while keeping facial analysis at the center of the gameplay.

The biggest question is still whether L.A. Noire 2 actually exists. 

The 2030 date would suggest that development may have already started if the rumor is accurate, potentially putting the beginning of production around a couple of years ago. That could also explain why smaller pieces of information have appeared over time, although there is currently no official confirmation connecting those older rumors to this new claim.

For now, the Zodiac Killer story, San Francisco setting, 2030 release window, and advanced facial scanning should all be treated as unconfirmed information. Still, the possibility of a sequel remains an intriguing one because Rockstar has already shown that it can work on projects outside its biggest franchises. 

If L.A. Noire 2 is eventually revealed, the combination of a new city, a historical crime story, and modern facial technology could give the series a very different direction while keeping the investigative foundation that made the original stand out.