Hardly any game is as eagerly anticipated as GTA 6, the sequel to the action epic by Rockstar. According to forecasts, it is expected to be one of the biggest entertainment releases of all time and generate billions of US dollars.
Update 12:05 – We have added the box office results of the films.
This is how successful GTA 6 is expected to be: Rockstar’s title could bring in more than one billion US dollars in pre-orders alone upon its planned release in fall 2025 on PlayStation and Xbox. The revenue in the first 12 months after release is projected to be $3.2 billion, according to the analysis site DFC Intelligence.
That would be twice as much as the predecessor GTA5 earned in 2013 and would also overshadow major film releases from 2024 (via 3D Juegos). The highest-grossing films in 2024 were “Inside Out 2” (worldwide nearly $1.7 billion) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($1.3 billion).
Apart from this trailer, little is known about GTA 6 so far.
One of the biggest releases of all time?
Where do the numbers come from? The figures come from a forecast by DFC Intelligence, a market analysis site focused on digital media. They were published in the Financial Times, which also spoke with Strauss Zelnick, the head of GTA publisher Take-Two.
“I never declare victory before it has happened,” said the CEO. “Nonetheless, I believe that Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal. […] The anticipation is certainly high.”
“Anticipation” might even be an understatement, as gamers have been waiting for more than 10 years for a continuation of GTA 5. The first and so far only trailer for the sequel, which shows a gangster couple in the style of Bonnie and Clyde, has been viewed more than 230 million times on YouTube since its release on December 5, 2023.
Others also believe in the success of GTA 6. “We believe that it will be one of the biggest entertainment releases of all time, not just in the gaming sector, but for all types of media,” says Yoshio Osaki, CEO of IDG Consulting – a consulting firm with a gaming focus. “The pent-up demand is greater than anything we have seen so far.”
Good for the entire industry
The Financial Times also emphasizes that GTA 6 is an exceptional occurrence in the gaming industry, which has been marked by studio closures and layoffs in 2024.
Since 2022, more than 33,000 people have lost their jobs in the gaming industry, including nearly 15,000 just in 2024. One man, however, has made it his mission to help them.
Take-Two also announced significant cost-cutting measures in 2024, intending to lay off about 5% of its workforce, or around 600 employees, by the end of the year.
Zelnick admits to being surprised by the drop in demand. “All of us in the industry had to restructure something. […] We somewhat overestimated our growth expectations.”
However, he is optimistic about 2025: “It is much too early to believe that this [console] generation is mature or has peaked. […] Consumer demand is increasing across the board. And the [gaming] industry, led by us, has a fantastic release schedule for 2025 and beyond. […] When a company hits a success, the entire industry often benefits from it.”
Not everyone is so optimistic, as other analysts believe that consumer spending on video games will not rise the same way as the gaming industry’s spending to produce this content. Outliers like GTA 6 or the expected Switch 2 from Nintendo may not offset this.
Either way, it is becoming clear that 2025 will be a pivotal year for the gaming industry.
Indeed, GTA 6 is so big that it has unexpected effects on the gaming industry. Industry insider Jason Schreier suspects that we will have to wait longer for the release dates of other games because of GTA 6: Rockstar is already causing anxiety among the competition – even though there is no release date yet
