The video game publisher Rockstar Games, behind the successful series Grand Theft Auto (GTA), will launch pre-sales of his new opus on June 25, GTA VIwhich is expected to be released on November 19, more than 13 years after the last episode.
Highly anticipated, this launch represents a major financial challenge for the American studio and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive. Here are five things to know about this popular and sulphurous saga:
Pioneer
The GTA series, whose story begins in 1997, puts the player in the shoes of a criminal charged with various missions throughout the cities recreated by the game.
In 2001, Episode III set the benchmark: a 3D world, sophisticated graphics and a “gameplay” (way of playing) praised by critics and fans, particularly for the freedom of action offered.
Since then, all the opuses have been praised by the industry and players.
Machine à fric
Each GTA has been a commercial success, bringing in billions of dollars for Take-Two Interactive.
Even without a new opus for more than a decade, the money continues to flow. The online mode of GTA V still brings together many players, who spend real money against virtual objects.
At retail, GTA V has generated more than $1 billion, a figure reached faster than “any other entertainment product in history,” according to Take-Two.
The game has sold more than 230 million copies and the entire series has sold more than 470 million, according to Take-Two results published in May.
GTA V is thus the second best-selling game of all time, behind Minecraft. The franchise’s revenues are estimated at more than $10 billion.
Controversies
The saga has gone through its share of controversies, regularly accused of glorifying violence and inciting criminal behavior, accusations rejected by Take-Two.
The game is also criticized for its misogynistic representation of women, its caricatures of ethnic minorities and its torture scenes.
Praised by some for its satirical side pushed to the extreme, it has been banned or restricted in several countries. In 2014, the Target Australia brand stopped selling GTA Vciting customer concerns.
The game is reserved for an adult audience, classified PEGI 18 in France.
Institution
Despite opposition, GTA has become a cultural institution, both fodder for online memes and popular reference.
As its reputation grew, the series attracted the services of big names in entertainment.
Actor Ray Liotta lent his voice to the main character of GTA: Vice Cityreleased in 2002. Other stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Burt Reynolds, musician Phil Collins and comedian Ricky Gervais have appeared in the games.
In 2021, an extension of GTA V was centered around hip-hop icon Dr. Dre.
The next opus
Initially scheduled for fall 2025, the release of GTA VI was pushed back to the end of May 2026, then to November 19.
The event is considered so important that Take-Two’s competitors avoided any major launch over the same period, moving forward a number of releases to September and October.
GTA VI will take place in the fictional state of Leonida, inspired by Florida and Miami, around the fictional city of Vice City, already the setting of a previous episode.
The game will feature a couple of convicts, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, the latter being the first playable female protagonist of the main series.
According to several estimates, the cost of developing the new component would be between 1 and 2 billion dollars, which would make it the most expensive product in the history of entertainment, cinema included, after approximately six years of work.
Take-Two has not yet communicated the price of GTA VI.
The group’s boss, Strauss Zelnick, assured that the publisher wanted to “ensure that people feel like they are paying a reasonable amount”, while big-budget titles often sell for around $70.
Analysts at the investment bank Piper Sandler expect around 45 million copies to be sold upon release.
