Take-Two CEO Backs Legacy Games Despite GTA Online Doubts

As Grand Theft Auto 6's Fall 2025 release nears, players are questioning GTA Online's future. Despite Rockstar's silence, speculation grows about whether the original multiplayer experience will coexist with a potential sequel or fade into obsolescence.

GTA Online remains Rockstar's financial powerhouse, maintaining strong player engagement over a decade post-launch. Its sustained profitability reportedly shifted developer priorities from story expansions to live service content for GTA 5, frustrating narrative-focused fans. Now, anticipation builds around whether existing progression will transfer to GTA 6's inevitable online component.

The looming question isn't whether Rockstar will create a new multiplayer platform with GTA 6—that seems certain—but rather how they'll handle player investments in the current ecosystem. Will veterans need to restart their criminal empires from scratch? This uncertainty makes some hesitate about continuing substantial investments in early 2025.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed similar concerns indirectly during IGN's recent interview. While avoiding direct GTA Online commentary, he highlighted NBA 2K Online's parallel operation with its sequel in Asian markets as potential precedent for Rockstar's approach.

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Zelnick tactfully avoided confirming GTA Online 2's existence but referenced Take-Two's NBA 2K Online strategy—where both original and sequel versions operated simultaneously since 2012 and 2017 respectively—as indicative of their live service philosophy.

"We've demonstrated commitment to maintaining legacy titles when communities remain active," Zelnick emphasized. This suggests ongoing support for GTA Online hinges entirely on sustained player engagement rather than being automatically phased out.

Rockstar's silence persists beyond multiplayer concerns—fundamental questions about GTA 6's core features, technical advancements, and notably its PC launch strategy remain unanswered since the initial trailer's December 2023 reveal. With Autumn 2025 approaching and competitors like Borderlands 4 announcing September launches, Rockstar must soon reveal substantial details about their next evolution in open-world crime simulation.