Publisher Take-Two Interactive revealed in an earnings report that their highly anticipated title Grand Theft Auto VI is set to release Fall of Calendar 2025, claiming that subsidiary Rockstar Games’ latest entry to the franchise “will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience, and our expectations for the commercial impact of the title continue to increase.” This is no doubt exciting news for fans of the franchise, following an announcement trailer in December that became the most viewed videogame reveal on YouTube within 24 hours. Given the longstanding acclaim the Grand Theft Auto series has garnered, it should come as no surprise that Take-Two projects the hype surrounding the release of the sixth game alone to account for a four percent increase in yearly Net Bookings.
The excitement surrounding Grand Theft Auto VI largely replaces the recent news surrounding Take-Two’s round of layoffs, expected to save the publisher $165 million per year and impact five percent of their total workforce. This decision follows a return-to-office mandate that Rockstar employees expressed concerns over, mirroring tactics utilized by Blizzard Entertainment. While it’s unlikely that these layoffs shifted the release date of Grand Theft Auto VI one way or the other, it remains unknown if teams at Rockstar are impacted. Concerns over the health of the videogame industry at large remain strong, as developers mourn 9,700 job losses in 2024 thus far, on track to majorly eclipse 2023’s estimated 10,500 job losses.
While many rejoice over an official release window for Grand Theft Auto VI, Take-Two Interactive’s earnings report reveals a damning insight into the industry. The restructuring underway at Take-Two will cost up to $200 million in the current fiscal year, with the growth due to Grand Theft Auto VI (and savings from said restructuring) set to increase Net Bookings by approximately $220 million the following fiscal year. It cannot be stated enough that this increase already accounts for the closure of Roll7 and Intercept Games, two other Take-Two subsidiaries. These actions seem to suggest that releasing the most anticipated game of all time can only grow a business proportional to the amount of staff it is willing to lay off.
When Grand Theft Auto VI releases, it will undoubtedly garner critical and commercial acclaim. In the same earnings report, it was declared that Grand Theft Auto V surpassed 200 million units sold, making it the second best-selling game of all time. The newest title in the franchise will surely surpass that. It will win awards and become the series’ new decade-long life support. The weight of Take-Two Interactive’s decisions will accompany that. Only time will tell which six is greater: Grand Theft Auto VI, or the nearly 600 people laid off to make it possible.