Take-Two CEO Signals Continued Support for GTA Online Amid GTA 6 Launch Speculation

As Grand Theft Auto 6 nears its fall 2025 release, fans of GTA Online are left wondering about the future of the popular live-service game. Despite the looming launch, clarity on what lies ahead remains elusive.

GTA Online, Rockstar’s wildly successful multiplayer platform, continues to attract players more than ten years after its debut. Its massive profitability is believed to have shifted Rockstar’s focus away from single-player DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5, frustrating some fans. Yet, a bigger question now looms.

With GTA 6 expected to introduce an enhanced version of GTA Online—possibly dubbed GTA Online 2—current players worry their time, effort, and money invested in the existing game could be rendered obsolete by a fresh start later this year.

Why continue investing in GTA Online in early 2025 when a new iteration might arrive in just months? IGN posed this question to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick during a recent interview before the company’s third-quarter financial report, and his response offers intriguing insights.

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While Zelnick avoided specifics about any unannounced GTA Online plans, he referenced Take-Two’s approach with NBA 2K Online, a free-to-play basketball game tailored for the Asian market.

NBA 2K Online debuted in 2012, followed by NBA 2K Online 2 in 2017. Both versions have coexisted, allowing players of the original to keep engaging without fear of being abandoned.

“I’ll speak in general terms since no specific project has been announced,” Zelnick said. “But we tend to support our titles as long as players remain engaged. For instance, we launched NBA 2K Online in China around 2012, followed by NBA 2K Online 2 in 2017. We didn’t discontinue the first. Both remain active, serving vibrant communities with a massive audience.

“This shows our commitment to sustaining legacy titles when players stay invested.”

This statement carries weight. It hints—though doesn’t confirm—that a potential GTA Online 2 wouldn’t necessarily mean the end of the current GTA Online. As long as players keep participating, Zelnick suggests Rockstar will maintain support.

Much about GTA 6 remains unknown, with only an initial trailer and a release window revealed so far. With GTA 6 slated for fall 2025, possibly following Borderlands 4’s newly announced September launch, Rockstar will likely share more soon. For now, explore Zelnick’s thoughts on whether bypassing PC for GTA 6’s launch is a misstep.