The long-awaited launch of the game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) in 2025 promises to be a milestone not only in the gaming industry, but also in entertainment in general, with forecasts of revenue of US$3.2 billion in its first year of operation. sales. The information is from the newspaper Financial Times.
The game, developed by Rockstar Games and published by Take-Two Interactive, is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2025 for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. In a video game market that is facing a period of stagnation, the expectation surrounding this title is one of the few positive points that could revitalize the sector.
Analysts from consultancy DFC Intelligence estimate that GTA VI could surpass the US$1 billion mark in pre-sales even before its release. This amount represents twice what its predecessor, GTA V, raised.
To give you an idea of the magnitude of the expected success, the biggest films of 2024, such as “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine”, together grossed less than US$3 billion, while GTA VI could surpass that amount in just its first year.
The GTA VI trailer, released in December 2023, has already accumulated more than 225 million views on YouTube, highlighting the public’s enormous interest. Yoshio Osaki, CEO of IDG Consulting, also shares this vision, classifying the launch as one of the biggest in entertainment history.
However, the scenario is not entirely optimistic. The gaming industry has faced significant challenges, with mass layoffs at companies like Sony, Microsoft and Take-Two resulting in the loss of more than 33,000 jobs since 2022.
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Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, admitted he was surprised by the reduction in demand, which began after the pandemic, when many consumers returned to prioritizing live events over games. Despite this, he believes consumer demand is starting to improve.
“It is too early to believe that this generation [de consoles] is maturing or has reached its peak,” Zelnick told the Financial Times. “You’re seeing broader consumer demand. And the industry [de jogos]led by us, has an incredible release schedule coming into 2025 and beyond… A success coming from one company tends to benefit the entire industry.”
On the other hand, experts warn that even a major launch like GTA VI may not be enough to reverse the sector’s slowdown. Consultancy Ampere Analysis projects growth of just 2.2% in spending on gaming content and services in 2025. Competition from video apps like TikTok and the saturation of the gaming market are making it difficult to attract new players.
