GTA 6 Could Set "New Industry Standards," Analyst Says

Grand Theft Auto VI is set for release later this year and it's expected to be among the biggest launches of the year. One analyst has now said the game is so momentous that it could "reshape the gaming industry," similar to how 2013's Grand Theft Auto 5 made a massive mark.

"While the market landscape has evolved, Rockstar's legacy of delivering groundbreaking experiences ensures that GTA 6 will leave a lasting mark," Newzoo analyst Emmanuel Rosier told GI.biz. Rosier went on to say that GTA 5 benefited from launching into a mature market for PS3 and Xbox 360. GTA 6, meanwhile, is set to launch relatively earlier into the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S lifecycles.

"Rockstar's history of crafting genre-defining titles positions GTA 6 to set new industry standards. Yet, its challenge lies in navigating a gaming world increasingly dominated by live-service titles. How Rockstar adapts the Grand Theft Auto formula to this evolving landscape will not only determine GTA 6's success but may also redefine the future of open-world gaming," Rosier said.

On the subject of live-service, Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis said Rockstar Games will need to deal with a "fractured GTA userbase" when GTA 6 comes out, as people continue to play GTA Online for older machines while GTA 6 for newer consoles is in the market.

To be clear, Rockstar Games has not officially announced what may happen to GTA Online when GTA 6 comes out. But given the massive and enduring success of GTA Online, it stands to reason that GTA 6 will feature an online mode of some kind.

Harding-Rolls went on to say that he expects GTA 6 to be the "largest entertainment release of all time" based on revenue at launch. Recently, DFC Intelligence predicted first-year sales of 40 million copies and more than $3 billion in revenue for GTA 6.

DFC also predicted that Rockstar will release new versions of GTA 6 for the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles, in addition to PC, which may help the game continue to sell over time. Just recently, a report emerged that said the next Xbox is codenamed Xbox Prime and could debut in 2026. Sony, meanwhile, is said to be working on the PlayStation 6.

GTA 6 is set for release in Fall 2025. Not everyone believes the game will make it out on time, considering every Rockstar release in the past 10 years has been delayed.