Rockstar Games’ game could be a double-edged sword that we will have to wait a year and a half to see: if it gets off to a good start, it could reach unprecedented levels, but if it does not perform as Take-Two expects, it could bring down the entire gaming industry!

Grand Theft Auto VI, which Take-Two has officially announced will be released at the end of 2025, could be the biggest entertainment release ever. This is what Mat Piscatella, executive director of Circana (formerly NPD) and gaming industry consultant, told Kyle Bosman in the interview embedded below. According to Piscatella, there will be more challenges ahead for the new episode of Grand Theft Auto, so it’s not so certain whether “number six” will be even better than the launch of Grand Theft Auto V in 2013, or if it will fall short of that.

The industry has changed dramatically since then, setting records for spending and player engagement in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic, and has not been able to match those results since. As a result, the industry is relying not on growth (as it has for a long time), but on games being able to share the audience’s time and money. In other words, there are too many games on the market and not enough of the public’s time and money.

So Grand Theft Auto VI will have to compete not only with well-known franchises (like Call of Duty), but also with evergreen titles (like Minecraft, Fortnite, or Roblox) that continue to engage players. And there’s an internal rival in Grand Theft Auto V. It’s not so certain that the public will be willing to buy a new console (PlayStation 5, Xbox series) for the sake of a new GTA. Piscatella, on the other hand, believes that it is Grand Theft Auto VI that can put the achievements of the gaming industry on the right track.

The success of big games can bring positive communication to the industry, but the opposite can also be true. If Grand Theft Auto VI or its Nintendo Switch sequel fall short of expectations, the industry could be in trouble. Maybe as bad as it was in 1983.

Source: WCCFTech