GTA 6 Online may not launch until long after release date, despite sales potential

In the latest Take-Two Interactive earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick called GTA 6 pre-order sales “exceptional.” Ahead of the release date, the focus has been entirely on single-player content. While a multiplayer mode may attract a new audience, an insider doesn’t expect news on an online component in the near future.

A missed opportunity?

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier spoke to Zelnick about his update to investors. According to the insider, Take-Two and Rockstar aren’t “planning to talk anytime soon about what the new GTA Online will look like.” He later clarified that Zelnick did not specifically address a timeframe for its launch. Regardless, it may disappoint stockholders, given how profitable the current service is.

During a podcast, Schreier highlighted staggering numbers shared by the CEO. In fiscal year 2026, the company earned $6.7 billion in revenue. However, $5.2 billion of that total was from “recurrent customer spending,” including microtransactions. Meanwhile, game purchases and other sales accounted for $1.4 billion.

GTA 6 Online would capitalize on a trend of increasingly dominant in-game purchases. Yet, for now, the publisher and studio seem happy to support the existing lucrative option. Take-Two has hinted that GTA Online updates will continue for the foreseeable future.

Multiplayer fans may need patience

Schreier doesn’t anticipate an imminent multiplayer-related announcement. Still, Rockstar may have already developed the code and content for the mode. That would allow for a launch as soon as a month after the GTA 6 release date.

The other possibility is that the studio waits longer or delays a reveal until the unconfirmed PC port arrives. In the meantime, they have the opportunity to tease GTA 5 players with crossover items.

It’s unclear whether pre-order buyers will be granted access to GTA 6 Online at no cost. Rockstar could make it a standalone purchase or, if free, rely on microtransactions and subscriptions. Choosing to follow the community-driven FiveM model could impact that decision. Enjoying more creative freedom, it further differentiates itself from the official single-player experience.