As the looming shadow of Grand Theft Auto 6 grows ever larger, and Rockstar Games prepares to show off an “extended look” at gameplay that will debut first via a Netflix-exclusive special, one big question remains. What happens to GTA Online, the series’ money-printing juggernaut, when a new game finally arrives after 13 years of waiting? It’s an especially pertinent question for us PC players, given that we aren’t getting GTA 6 in 2026, but Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has now reassured that the publisher plans to continue supporting the multiplayer game for the foreseeable future.
Speaking during a Take-Two quarterly earnings call for the first quarter of the 2027 financial year, Zelnick fielded questions on the GTA 6 Netflix deal, the decision to offer a premium bundle for the upcoming open-world game, and the continued future of GTA Online. One caller asks about the recent increase in frequency of GTA Online updates, and whether that requires Take-Two and Rockstar to invest more heavily into development on the project.
“Generally speaking, our update cadence for GTA Online has been pretty stable,” Zelnick responds. “Some of the updates have been amazing, and some have been less successful, but generally speaking, consumers really love them. But the cadence hasn’t really changed and we do apply significant resources to that, and we do expect to support GTA Online going forward.
Rockstar has expressly stated that the Grand Theft Auto 6 it is selling now “is a single-player experience,” although copies do come with a month of its GTA+ subscription, which includes a range of GTA Online bonuses as well as access to several classic games from the developer. Could we hear about plans for the next era of the multiplayer game soon, perhaps after the dust has settled from that initial launch?
Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who recently spoke with Zelnick about GTA 6 preorders, doesn’t believe so. While he doesn’t cite a specific source for the information, Schreier notes in his latest video that Rockstar “has not talked at all and is not planning to talk anytime soon about what the new GTA Online will look like, and what that recurring spend will look like,” referring to its potential earnings.
During the investor call, Zelnick remarks that GTA 6 pre-orders are “exceptional; no-one’s ever seen anything like this before at Take-Two or in the industry.” He urges a level of caution, however. “To be clear, we haven’t sold one unit yet. You can cancel a pre-order. Around here, we’re allergic to victory laps, but one thing we certainly don’t do is take a victory lap before we run the event.”
Zelnick also touches briefly on the planned Netflix “GTA 6: An Extended Look” showcase, which will debut on Thursday August 27 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST / 9pm CEST. It’ll be exclusive there for just six hours, after which you can watch it via the Rockstar Games YouTube or on the official GTA 6 website.
“This is a first of its kind partnership with Netflix,” Zelnick comments, although as expected he refrains from giving any information on the specific nature of the deal. “We also work with virtually every social media outlet on Earth. This is part of Rockstar Games’ marketing strategy. We’re excited for everyone to see an extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6; I’m not prepared to tell you how it’s going to go, but I feel really good about it.”
