'Gran Turismo 7' Release Rumors: Racing Game Leak Teased Then Retracted By Sony Partner

It has been quite some time since a new installment of the "Gran Turismo" series came out. It remains one of the popular video games to date after debuting back in 1997. The game garnered multiple recognition and awards and most have been awaiting the next edition. A recent social media post by Next Level Racing, a group behind the creation of hardware for racing games and official PlayStation licensee, may have just provided an answer to that.

Next Level Racing put up an Instagram post captioned "What racing game are you most looking forward to in 2020?" There were several racing game logos on the post. This included "Dirt 5," "F1 2020" and "Automobilista." But perhaps the most distinguished of them all is the "Gran Turismo" logo with a number 7 beside it. Such has spurred speculations that "Gran Turismo 7" could be finally coming out later this year.

The last update on "Gran Turismo 7" is that the game remains in development. Other than that, little information has come out about the game. The last installment was "Gran Turismo 6" which came out in 2013 for the PlayStation 3. There was no version for the PlayStation 4 leaving most to hope that a "Gran Turismo 7" would be coming to the PlayStation 5. Additionally, the fact that Next Level Racing is working on the game is also good news. This means that the hardware linked to the racing game will be compatible with the PS5.

Unfortunately, Next Level Racing was forced to shed more light on the post which raised expectations on "Gran Turismo 7." They denied on Instagram having any secret knowledge on the game although some sites like The Sixth Axis managed to save the screenshot.

"There have been assumptions made in the media that are quite simply untrue. Due to this, we have decided to take down our previous social post. Our Graphic Design Department used the mock logo that is circulated on the internet," Next Level Racing said in their latest Instagram post.

The sudden retraction hints that Next Level Racing may have drawn the ire of Sony with its initial post. The social media post could have been a way to gain some attention although the logos used raised several questions. The three other logos seem authentic but claiming that the "GTA 7" logo was allegedly fan-made further thickens the plot.

Sony is rumored to be revealing the PlayStation 5 in June. If it does come out next month, some are hoping that an update on "Gran Turismo 7" will be included.