Record-Breaking Sales Justify GTA 6 Delays
The gaming world received mixed news this week as Rockstar Games confirmed another delay for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, while simultaneously revealing that Grand Theft Auto 5 continues to achieve unprecedented sales figures that explain the company's patient approach to development.
Originally scheduled for a May 2026 release, GTA 6 has now been pushed back to November 2026, marking the second significant delay for what's become the most anticipated game in history. This extension means players will have waited over 13 years since GTA 5's initial release in 2013.
Staggering Sales Figures
During a recent discussion with The Game Business, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that GTA 5 has now sold more than 220 million copies worldwide. The game had previously reached the 200 million milestone in May 2024, meaning an incredible 20 million additional copies have been purchased in just the last 18 months alone.
To put these numbers in perspective, GTA 5's total sales have now surpassed the entire population of Brazil. Back in 2021, the game had already sold double the UK's population, and according to Worldometer data, it's now on track to overtake Nigeria's population of over 230 million people.
The GTA Online Factor
The remarkable longevity of GTA 5 isn't solely due to new purchases. GTA Online continues to drive player engagement and revenue, with Zelnick confirming impressive growth in both the online platform and the GTA+ subscription service.
'We continue to supply content to GTA Online, and in fact we've had terrific results there,' Zelnick stated. 'And GTA+ continues to grow its membership. In fact, it's had 20% growth year-over-year.'
Further boosting these numbers, reliable industry source billbill-kun from Dealabs has indicated that GTA 5 will return to the PlayStation Plus game catalogue on November 18. This marks the third time the game has been available through the subscription service, following previous appearances in December 2023 and November 2024.
Red Dead Redemption 2's Success
Take-Two's latest earnings report also highlighted another Rockstar success story. Red Dead Redemption 2 has now sold over 79 million units since its 2018 launch, making it the second best-selling traditional video game of all time. This achievement sees it overtake Mario Kart 8, which previously held the position with 76.66 million sales.
The continued strong performance of both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 places Take-Two Interactive in the rare position of being able to take their time with GTA 6's development without financial pressure. As anticipation builds for the sequel, many industry analysts predict that GTA 5 sales may actually increase as new players discover the franchise while waiting for the next installment.
