As of 2025, Grand Theft Auto V has sold over 215 million copies, securing its spot as one of the bestselling video games of all time. Despite launching on the seventh generation of consoles, the title has remained relevant for over a decade. Sales figures continue to soar, despite the game recently turning twelve years old. But how?
A New Industry Standard
By 2011, Rockstar Games had established a reputation for itself, having released multiple blockbuster titles on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. A few of these included Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption, and L.A. Noire. However, with new hardware on the horizon, the game developer wanted to go out with a bang, pushing the limits of what the seventh generation had to offer.
Grand Theft Auto V was released exactly 12 years ago, on September 17th, 2013, nearly two years after its initial announcement.
The game raked in over 800 million within the first 24 hours of its launch, becoming one of the bestselling games among the seventh generation of consoles. The fifth installment packed so much into the game that it had to be released on two discs for the Xbox 360 version. It offered a massive open world to explore, with various activities and antics available for players to partake in.
Providing countless hours of virtual entertainment, the breathtaking experience left players awestruck and other game developers with egg on their faces. When the dust settled, Grand Theft Auto V had set a new standard for the gaming industry.
Grand Theft Auto Online
Despite being one of the biggest video game releases of all time, Rockstar was already hard at work on a brand new online experience. Players would be able to interact with their friends in an ever-evolving world packed with new content for players to enjoy, while staying true to the traditional formula of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Grand Theft Auto Online launched on October 1st, 2013, mere weeks after the story mode. Instead of being an instant success and meeting lofty expectations, it was the exact opposite.
Many players experienced numerous game crashes, while others constantly lost their progress and their created characters. It was nothing less than a disaster, especially when players quickly ran out of things to do. Instead of taking a loss and moving on, Rockstar Games doubled down on the online component instead, releasing a multitude of patches and bug fixes before introducing a series of major DLC packs.
A few of these included the Beach Bum and Business packs, the hotly anticipated content creator, and the long-overdue Heists update. The company also deployed the use of Shark Cards. These microtransactions allowed players to purchase virtual currency for the game, which could be spent on various vehicles and assets. These changes caused the popularity of Grand Theft Auto Online to skyrocket, and it's been thriving ever since. As of 2025, GTA Online has become a profitable asset for Take-Two Interactive, earning over 9 billion dollars to date.
Shifting Gears
Before its launch date, Rockstar Games announced post-launch DLC on their website, mentioning that the story wasn't over. Players were to expect updates in the future. With the launch of Grand Theft Auto Online, however, most of their staff and resources were tasked with repairing the damage, forever diverting their attention away from the offline mode, though it wasn't completely abandoned.
Each major update to GTA Online introduced new weapons and vehicles, and for the better part of a year, these would often become available in story mode, as well.
One Game, Three Console Generations
Grand Theft Auto Online had finally found its footing in 2014, becoming one of the hottest online experiences to date. With a new generation of gaming consoles on the horizon, Rockstar would take advantage of the advanced hardware. The game had earned a spot among the elite on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but the seventh generation seemed to limit the game's potential.
On June 9th, 2014, the company announced that it would "take full advantage" of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, releasing Grand Theft Auto V on a new generation of gaming consoles. The hotly anticipated PC port was announced, but wouldn't be released until April 2015. As an incentive for purchasing the game again, players would return to Los Santos with a few in-game rewards.
Exclusive content included two vehicles: the Imponte Duke O'Death and the Dodo Seaplane, the latter being featured for the first time in the series since San Andreas. Two weapons were also up for grabs: the Rail Gun and the Hatchet, which were both made available in gun shops across the map. Those who didn't preorder the game at launch in 2013 also gained access to previously exclusive content. These items included various cosmetic items, such as the pilotable Atomic Blimp and weapons like the Hammer and the Bullpup Shotgun.
The game was also released on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2022. The current version offers stunning 4K visuals and ray tracing, along with the Fidelity and Performance modes. Though these ports were welcomed with open arms, it seemed odd for Rockstar to release the same game over three console generations. Some expect a cash grab or an attempt to entice more players to play Grand Theft Auto Online. However, a different explanation can be extrapolated from this.
Testing Hardware
It's mind-boggling that we've gone three console generations without a new Grand Theft Auto game. Throughout the early 2000s, the longest time between titles was five years. After over a decade, Grand Theft Auto VI is set to release in 2026. After GTA V, the only other game released by Rockstar was Red Dead Redemption II in 2018. However, the last iteration of the Grand Theft Auto series has been released on all three generations where the series has been absent. Why?
There's no denying that Grand Theft Auto Online has had some effect on the development of Grand Theft Auto VI. With the online mode thriving, there wasn't a need to rush any games to market anytime soon. Seeing the fifth main installment on three console generations seems like Rockstar Games is milking it for all its worth, jamming the game down the throats of their fans, knowing that they'll buy it regardless. This isn't the case, however. Not entirely.
When Red Dead Redemption II was released in 2018, the game expanded mechanics that were originally featured in Grand Theft Auto V, including character customization and NPC routines. However, the Western epic expanded greatly on these ideas. When it comes to the PS5 release, one could assume that the introduction of ray tracing could be what's in store for Grand Theft Auto VI.
Releasing an old game on newer hardware is also a way to become accustomed to the more advanced tools available to developers. What will the next iteration of the Grand Theft Auto series take away from its predecessors? We'll find out when it releases on May 26, 2026. It is worth noting that a statement from Rockstar Games mentions that it's the biggest and most immersive experience to date!