By Luke Cunningham
Ding! Millions of GTA fans flocked to their phones after seeing the notification for the highly anticipated GTA 6 trailer 1. Those same fans are still waiting for more.
CEO Strauss Zelnick of Take-Two, the company that owns Rockstar Games said, “The game is on track for its previously announced release… not facing any major delays,” regarding Grand Theft Auto 6, despite the lack of trailers and announcements typical for a major video game launch.
Fans who grew up with GTA V, released over a decade ago, eagerly await the next installment in one of the biggest video game franchises of all time. However, the absence of updates has left many questioning Take-Two’s transparency as the projected fall 2025 release date inches closer.
Yes, fall 2025 is still a broad time frame, but reports suggest the game will first release on consoles before rolling out to PC months later. However, some remain skeptical, given Rockstar Games’ history of multiple trailers and delays before launch. Most previous GTA titles featured three to five trailers ahead of release.
“Since Rockstar has a history with delays, I think that they’re going to be better, and they’re going to release it on time,” said Alana Barber, an 18-year-old Meredith College student and longtime GTA fan. Like many who grew up playing GTA V, she remains hopeful for a smooth GTA 6 launch.
(Screenshot of GTA’s first female protagonist in a prison jumpsuit. This comes from the only GTA 6 trailer to be released as of the time of publication. Image credit: Rockstar Games)
Looking at past trends, GTA V had five trailers, while GTA IV had four. If Rockstar followed that pattern, GTA 6 should have six trailers—raising the question of whether a few months will be enough time to ensure each one has an impact. Despite this, some fans believe the lack of promotional material could be strategic.
“As you’ve seen in the trailers, it’s very developed and very clean-looking… they haven’t been posting about it, so maybe they just don’t want to spoil anything,” this is a positive mindset Barber and many other fans of GTA may share. Maybe not posting many trailers for GTA 6 is strategic in some sense.
Beyond avoiding spoilers, Rockstar may not see a need for excessive marketing. According to Jose from hackernoon GTA 6 is projected to be the most expensive video game ever developed, with a budget estimated at around $2 billion. Given the franchise’s massive popularity, the company may not feel the need to spend even more on an extensive trailer rollout.
However, some industry experts doubt this theory. “Take-Two is worth some $32.5 billion, so around $1.5 billion spread out over the course of a decade to develop GTA 6 doesn’t really seem all that,” Grant Taylor-Hill of Insider Gaming Network reported. While $1 billion to $2 billion is a large sum, the company could likely afford to invest a few million more in marketing.
There’s no question why GTA 6 has taken more than a decade to develop. When released, it will reportedly feature one of the largest maps in gaming history, with entire cities such as Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. Considering Rockstar’s attention to detail and the game’s massive scope, its high development cost makes sense.
With all these factors—scale, budget, and lack of marketing—it doesn’t seem likely but fans remain hopeful for a release.