Welcome to GTANet’s Chatterbox, our interview series where hosts uNi, Spider-Vice and Kirsty sit down and get personal with notable people from the GTANet and Rockstar Games community. From the well-loved to the unknown, Chatterbox is all-inclusive.
First things first, let us dust off our joggers and apologise for our absence! It has been a while since our last Chatterbox; the last year has done a number on us at GTANet, for obvious reasons, but things are looking up and we hope everyone is coping as well as they can out there.
Without further ado and without much need for an introduction, in Chatterbox #3 we aim some burning questions at no other than TezFunz2. You might call him Fun, you might call him Tez, just never forget the 2. Chances are you’ve seen his tweets around the Rockstar community during GTA Online and Red Dead Online update days. His trademark straight-to-the-point info drops frequently get over a 1000 Likes, and he is a regular contributor to GTAForums’ Next DLC speculation topics.
GTANet: Fun! Thanks for participating in our Chatterbox series and thanks for your patience! Let’s start with an easy one: What would be your favourite GTA instalment or Rockstar game?
TezFunz2: When it comes to the GTA franchise, I kinda have a hard time picking. It would be either GTA San Andreas or GTA V. Both games have a spark that makes them unique. GTA SA was amazing and tops it in terms of providing entertainment value, what went into the gameplay was enough to keep me hooked. On the other hand, GTA V was stunning and it took the graphics and scale of the map to greater lengths, the level of detail is amazing, but it lacked a bit of the amusing tone that diverts your attention from the other aspects of the game. Both games were really great, but if I have to pick one out of the two, it will be GTA San Andreas. Outside of the GTA franchise, an all-time favourite of mine is Red Dead Redemption, it’s just chef’s kiss.
GTANet: Do you follow any franchises outside of Rockstar Games?
TezFunz2: Naughty Dog games such as Last of Us (plus TLOU2) and Uncharted, Battlefield series, and the Division and Assassin’s Creed by Ubisoft. I know, not the sort of guy that comes off as a man of culture.
GTANet: When did you first find yourself getting into the Rockstar online community?
TezFunz2: It started with the release of GTAV, that’s when I became aware of GTAForums. Before that, I spent most of my time with the silent majority, I was oblivious to the existence of such communities, I didn’t even experience GTAV pre-release days (guess I’m lucky?). Afterwards, I stumbled upon this forum and since then I’ve experienced such a fun time being here and I’m grateful for knowing you guys. For all the crap I saw, it’s still a great place for me.
GTANet: How did you come up with your username, what’s with the “2”? Let us know if you want to update it on GTAF!
TezFunz2: I was a massive fan of Modern Warfare 2, and so I came up with a nickname that implies it was a fun game. Later on, I updated it to simply “Fun 2”, just a silly nickname. Just adds up to my lack of originality. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll stick with it for now.
GTANet: As of this month you’ve got a massive 170k followers on Twitter and you’re mostly known for posting info from the tunables each week and researching Rockstar in general, do you ever feel “used” or fed up of people expecting information out of you, or is it something you still get excited about being involved in?
TezFunz2: Frankly, I don’t feel used or fed up of people expectations, it’s something I enjoy doing, but it’s not something that I’m committed to, or to be recognized by. It’s just a nice little thing I do, not something I take to the heart. It’s bothersome, but I don’t really think much of it, any increase in followers doesn’t change how I feel about it. If I somehow forget to tweet on time, I won’t feel like I failed miserably or failed my followers. My motive to provide info is just altruistic, but not so much to the point that it takes a toll on me.
GTANet: Do you have any favourite discoveries that you’ve found in the game files?
TezFunz2: Finding out the code leftovers for GTA V’s single-player expansion helped form or realize the scope of the expansion. They were planning three episodes with each one featuring unique changes to the map and the environment. It’s kinda crazy that eventually most of this became material utilized in GTA Online updates. Also, I wouldn’t call this a discovery, but the Mission Creator has a neat set of features. I would love to see them release a public version before they move on to focus on the next title. Lastly, when Rockstar added the Alien Egg supply mission to GTA Online with the Gunrunning update, the strings were divided into small bits, so that the code would go unnoticed by dataminers. Nobody noticed anything until roughly a month after release. It was a nice sight to see them do that.
GTANet: If you could go back in time and create a DLC for GTA Online, what would it be?
TezFunz2: Beach Bum Part 2, maybe? Would give a new meaning to Vespucci Beach. Jokes aside, I would settle for a quality of life update, but if I can go further than that, maybe a DLC that focuses on gang wars, competing over territories. We had the Alien War social event that happened a while ago, where two alien gangs fought each other. Just make a DLC around that. Most importantly, I would make sure to set up custom rules to balance it out and bring about a classic GTA experience, one without meme vehicles.
GTANet: Do you have a personal wishlist for a GTA 6 setting and location?
TezFunz2: I would like them to revisit Vice City, and feature Liberty City if possible. There are rumors that it may feature multiple timelines, which if true would be amazing as it would provide the same experience as RDR2 with the Chapters, where you spend more time exploring the world. Hopefully we may see an initial announcement happening this year.
GTANet: If you could bring back any character for GTA 6 to be the main protagonist, who would you like?
TezFunz2: Tricky question, I think of myself as a newcomer to the franchise, so I’m ambivalent of who I shall pick, and to be honest, I really want to see new characters with GTA6, new personalities and unique traits. I can’t think much of a character, but maybe someone slightly akin to Tommy Vercetti, someone who establishes a criminal empire, recruit members and take on complicated matters, but not so much alike that at every opportunity he takes matters into his hand.
GTANet: And last but not least, we hope you’ve been keeping sane during the pandemic. What do you think is next for Rockstar Games as the world tries to return to normal; are you looking forward to GTA V Expanded & Enhanced? Do you think we’ll see any new games from Rockstar in the near future?
TezFunz2: I’ve been doing well, and wishing the same wellness to anyone affected by the pandemic.
Ruffian Games acquisition, which is now Rockstar Dundee, was unexpected. I don’t see them providing much assistance with GTAO/RDO development, but likely working on side projects. They did say they were working on “unspecified titles”. I’m expecting a reveal this year.
I’m indeed looking forward to GTA V Expanded & Enhanced. The technical improvements and performance enhancements mentioned intrigues my interest. Especially the latter, as I’ve always wanted the game to be more responsive. With recent updates, we’ve found a few new RDR2-like functions behind the scenes. So, we may see improvements to the engine version. However, nothing major like a complete overhaul. I don’t think Rockstar is done with Cayo Perico just yet. I can see them upgrading it in some way or shape with the E&E edition. Plus, we may receive more music-centered content. E&E seems to be the prime focus, as there are signs that suggest there’s likely no new GTAO update in development at the moment.
As for new games, I can see them making a different and an unusual reveal. Not in the near term, but sometime in the mid-term. Hopefully, an announcement regarding the next title too.
We extend our thanks to TezFunz2 for the opportunity to let us make this interview, it was great fun, as always, and you can find details about TezFunz2 below!
Follow TezFunz2 on Twitter!
Previously on Chatterbox
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