Rockstar Games is set to launch Grand Theft Auto VI in May 2026, and the game is widely anticipated to be a colossal success. However, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, Rockstar`s parent company, is hesitant to declare inevitable success before the official release. In an interview with GI.biz, Zelnick emphasized, “We run scared around here.”
He elaborated: “We`re constantly looking over our shoulders. We take nothing for granted and we don`t claim success until it occurs. While I couldn`t be more optimistic than I am, all of us have to do the work. We are obligated to deliver something outstanding to consumers, and only then will they tell us how good it truly is.”
The Grand Theft Auto series stands as one of the largest and most commercially successful gaming franchises, and the immense pent-up demand for GTA 6 will undoubtedly secure its monumental success upon launch. One analytical firm projects 40 million sales and billions in revenue in its first year alone. For its part, Take-Two has not yet shared specific sales or revenue forecasts for GTA 6, but it is clearly expected to be an industry behemoth.
While Zelnick refrained from providing exact figures, he remarked, “I think it`s fair to say that this is perhaps the most highly anticipated property pre-release in the history of entertainment.”
GTA V, released in 2013, has sold over 215 million copies across all platforms, making it one of the best-selling video games in history. Given that the game continues to sell actively, one analyst believes that one of the main “threats” to GTA 6 is actually GTA V itself, specifically the challenge of convincing players to transition from the older title to the new one.
The future of GTA Online after GTA 6`s release also remains a question. Rockstar has not yet provided any information regarding GTA 6`s expected online component, but these details should become clear in due course. GTA 6 is scheduled for release on May 26, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC launch anticipated later.
Beyond GTA 6, rumors suggest that Rockstar is working on bringing Red Dead Redemption II to Switch 2 and a remaster of GTA 4.