Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar’s next major open-world experience and one of (if not the) most anticipated games of the decade, finally finds a reasonable timeline for its release window, scheduled for fall 2025.
Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive held its Q4 earnings call today (May 16) in which it changed forecasts to reflect a newly expected launch window for the next installment of Grand Theft Auto.
The current version, 2013's Grand Theft Auto V, has now sold more than 200 million copies. The next open-world adventure is geared to take players back to Vice City, last seen in 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Previously, Take-Two had listed a calendar 2025 release for Grand Theft Auto VI, but launching the game in the closing months of the year is forcing the company to revise its expected bookings for fiscal year 2025 to between $5.55 billion to $5.65 billion. Previous forecasts were projected to be around $8 billion.
GTA VI has been the topic of many various discussion in the gaming world. Several months prior, a report out of Kotaku claimed that production on the sandbox experience was stalling and the previously earmarked spring 2025 release window might be missed.
Now, it's clear that Rockstar is vying to launch GTA VI by fall 2025 at the earliest, though a delay might still be likely given previous releases. The last high-profile video game launch out of Rockstar, the western epic Red Dead Redemption 2, was initially planned to launch in Autumn 2017, yet was delayed to Spring 2018. It eventually released on October 26 that same year.
The first and only official trailer of GTA VI, released five months prior, now sits at more than 190 million views on YouTube. The wait for Rockstar's next open-world experience is at a fever pitch, with fans itching for more information by the day. It's unclear when to expect another teaser, but given this latest news, it's good advice to remain patient.
Take-Two Interactive shares fell in after-hours trading following the earnings report. The news of Grand Theft Auto's release proves a major revenue driver and will be a defining new experience in the industry upon its debut.
