This Christmas may have been a painful one for all you Grand Theft Auto fans out there – despite all the conspiracy theories, no new trailers, screenshots, or info arrived on GTA 6. However, 2025 is now here, and should everything go to plan, GTA 6 will be in your hands within the next 12 months. We’re on the home stretch, folks. It’s going to be a monumental moment when that release date finally arrives, but a group of industry analysts predict that Rockstar Games and Take-Two could rake in over a billion dollars of revenue before GTA 6 even launches.
Of all the upcoming PC games in 2025, GTA 6 is undeniably the biggest. The rampant theories, that record-breaking reveal trailer, and the relentless comments from fans on everything Rockstar posts these days should tell you that. Just like its predecessor, it’ll be one of the biggest launches ever, and even before the GTA 6 release date lands, the game is tipped to generate an obscene amount of money in pre-orders.
According to industry analysts at DFC Intelligence, GTA 6 is expected to generate over $1 billion in pre-order sales, such is the hunger for the series’ return to Vice City. For comparison, GTA 5 achieved around $800 million in its first 24 hours, which would’ve included pre-order revenue, and took three days to exceed $1 billion. If DFC Intelligence’s prediction is truly on the money, GTA 6 will achieve that before players are even exploring the world of Leonida.
The same analysts, quoted in an article from the Financial Times, also anticipate GTA 6 to rack up $3.2 billion in revenue in its first 12 months.
In the same Financial Times piece, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick comments on the massive hype and expectations for GTA 6. “I never claim victory before it occurs,” he says. “That said, I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal… Certainly the anticipation is high.”
Despite 2024 being a rough year for the industry, with tens of thousands of developer layoffs and growth slowing right down, Zelnick says that GTA 6 will get things moving again. “The [games] industry, frankly led by us, has an amazing release schedule coming in 2025 and beyond . . . A hit coming from one company tends to benefit the entire industry.” Alongside GTA 6, big hitters like Civilization 7, Monster Hunter Wilds, Elden Ring Nightreign, Avowed, Borderlands 4, and so many more are dropping this year. While I’m confident they’ll all be brilliant and sell well, they’ll also all be dwarfed by GTA 6 when its time comes.
Until we hear more official details from Rockstar and Take-Two, make sure to check out everything that’s been revealed about GTA 6 so far over on GTA Db. Alternatively, jump into some other excellent open-world games and crime games to get you in the mood.
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