The sun just refuses to set on Grand Theft Auto Online. Even with GTA 6 delayed into next year, the current entry’s multiplayer mode is seeing an surprising surge in new and returning players. Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two, just revealed the 12-year-old spin-off is 50 percent more popular than it was last year.
“During the quarter, engagement for Grand Theft Auto Online benefited from the record-setting launch of Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2 and the successful release of the ‘Money Fronts‘ Summer content pack, which culminated in higher than expected recurrent consumer spending growth,” the company announced in its quarterly earnings report this week. “We are pleased that new player accounts for GTA Online grew over 50 percent year-over-year.”
Every company that delays one of the most anticipated releases of all-time by more than six months should be so lucky. At this rate, Rockstar could push back the release of GTA 6 from May to October 2026 and see GTA Online potentially double in popularity in just two years, merely by dropping new trailers for the sequel.
I guess all of those people still buying GTA V each month are for real. The game was the ninth best-selling game of the year so far in June. That was up from being the 15th best-selling overall in 2024. Even if that number eventually comes down by the end of 2025, it would still be incredible if GTA V sold just as well as it had the year prior after more than a decade of being out in the wild.
No wonder Rockstar has been content to take its time with the sequel while everyone else selling games on consoles battles to convince GTA Online fans to take a chance on buying something new. Shutting GTA Online down for good would be terrible for Take-Two’s shareholders but it might spread the wealth around a bit and give great games from other studios a better shot at getting recognized. Or all of those people would just go play Fortnite and Roblox instead.