- Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has discussed the success of Grand Theft Auto 5 in a new interview
- He attributed its endurance to its "highly social" online mode and frequent updates
- The comments come ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 in November
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has reflected on the success of Grand Theft Auto 5 and believes that players keep coming back to the game because it's a frequently updated, social experience.
Speaking in a new interview with podcaster David Senra, Zelnick said that "most people believe" that GTA is "the most valuable entertainment IP ever created," and revealed that the total revenue from the latest instalment, GTA 5, is "a lot."
The game, released back in 2013, has sold more than 225 million copies and is frequently touted as one of the best-selling video games of all time. It still has tens of thousands of players today, often appearing among the most-played titles on popular PC gaming platform Steam.
According to Zelnick, "the reason people keep playing is because it's constantly updated" — referring to GTA 5's ever-evolving multiplayer offering, Grand Theft Auto Online. "The most recent content pack was awesome," he added.
"You can actually talk and connect and play together," he continued. "People don't realize that online games are highly social experiences."
To illustrate his point, Zelnick also shared an anecdote about his elderly mother playing the card game bridge online, chatting with other players she has never met.
The comments come ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the next GTA game, Grand Theft Auto 6, on November 19, 2026. It is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue and sell millions of copies in a matter of days.
