Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed GTA Online will continue to be supported after GTA 6 releases on November 19, 2026. With nearly 10 million weekly players and $500 million in annual revenue, the decision makes financial sense. But the long-term picture is more nuanced.
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed during a February 2026 earnings call that GTA Online will continue to receive support after Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19, 2026. With GTA 5 having sold 225 million copies worldwide and GTA Online still pulling in nearly 10 million weekly active users, Rockstar has no financial reason to shut down its most reliable revenue stream any time soon.
What Exactly Did Take-Two’s CEO Say?
Zelnick addressed the question directly when investors asked about GTA Online’s post-GTA 6 future: “I have every reason to believe we’ll continue to support GTA Online. There’s a great community that loves it, that stays engaged. And again in this quarter, Rockstar has shown that when you deliver great additional content, despite how long [GTA Online] has been at market, people show up.” The statement was reported by Kotaku, GamesRadar, GamingBible, and GamingBolt, among others.
This was not the first time Zelnick made such reassurances. Back in 2025, he pointed to Take-Two’s track record with legacy titles, specifically citing NBA 2K Online in China. That game launched in 2012, and when NBA 2K Online 2 arrived in 2017, the original was not taken offline. “We’ve shown a willingness to support legacy titles when a community wants to be engaged with them,” he told IGN at the time.
How Big Is GTA Online Right Now?
Leaked internal data covering September 2025 through April 2026 paints a staggering picture. GTA Online averaged 9.94 million weekly active users across all platforms, with a daily average of just over 4 million. The peak weekly player count hit 15.4 million, while even the lowest week never dipped below 6.9 million.
Revenue numbers are equally impressive. GTA Online averaged $9.59 million per week, translating to roughly $499 million annualized. Shark Card sales accounted for approximately 74% of that revenue ($7.3 million per week), while GTA+ subscriptions contributed the remaining 26% ($2.3 million per week). The most profitable single week brought in $27.9 million, while the lowest still cleared $4.8 million.
| Platform | Weekly Active Users | Weekly Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | 3,474,021 | $4,486,346 |
| PS4 | 1,889,729 | $973,308 |
| Xbox Series X|S | 1,129,023 | $1,867,947 |
| Xbox One | 1,026,695 | $918,373 |
| PC | 894,621 | $264,273 |
Roughly 35% of GTA Online’s player base is still on last-generation hardware (PS4 and Xbox One). Since GTA 6 is exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, those players will not be migrating to the new game at launch. This alone guarantees a substantial audience for GTA Online well into 2027 and beyond.
When Does GTA 6 Actually Launch?
Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to release on November 19, 2026, exclusively for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game has been delayed twice: first from autumn 2025 to May 26, 2026, and then to its current November 2026 date. Rockstar cited the need for additional development time to deliver the quality players deserve.
A PC version has not been officially announced, though industry analysts widely expect it to arrive sometime in 2027. Take-Two also confirmed that physical disc copies will be available on day one, shutting down rumours of a digital-only launch. Marketing for the game is expected to ramp up significantly during summer 2026.
What Do We Know About GTA 6’s Online Mode?
Rockstar has not officially confirmed a multiplayer component for GTA 6, but nobody seriously doubts one is coming. Court documents from an employment tribunal involving Rockstar North, uncovered by People Make Games in January 2026, revealed that developers had been playtesting a 32-player online mode. Current GTA Online supports 30 active players plus 2 spectators per session, so 32 is a familiar number, though it may represent just one game mode rather than the overall lobby capacity.
Leaks and industry reports suggest GTA 6 Online could incorporate MMO-RPG elements: deeper character progression, persistent world mechanics, and more structured large-scale activities like expanded heists. One of the most intriguing developments is Project R.O.M.E. (Rockstar Online Modding Engine), a rumoured first-party modding platform built to replace third-party systems like FiveM. Rockstar acquired the FiveM team and appears to be building an official framework for user-generated content, custom servers, and creator monetisation tools.
There are even early reports suggesting GTA 6 Online could feature an in-game crime-and-punishment system, with fines and sentences for offences like grand theft auto (23-hour sentence), discharging a firearm (10-hour sentence), or even littering ($10,000 fine). Players would only face consequences if caught by in-game police, adding a risk-reward dynamic to the multiplayer experience.
GTA Online’s Final Major Update Arrives This Summer
In a May 2026 Newswire post, Rockstar confirmed a new summer update is coming to GTA Online. Community consensus suggests this will be the game’s final major DLC before GTA 6 takes centre stage. The update is expected to land around mid-June, possibly June 16, 2026, based on GTA Plus event period timings and historical release patterns.
Alongside the summer DLC, Rockstar has already started rebalancing payouts across the board. Special vehicle work, mobile operations missions, and casino story missions are receiving doubled base payouts, while bail office targets, Superyacht Life, and Project Overthrow missions get a 50% boost. Vehicle pricing is also being adjusted to make certain rides more accessible.
Will Both Online Experiences Coexist?
In the short term, absolutely. Rockstar has a precedent for staggered online launches. GTA Online arrived about two weeks after GTA 5 in October 2013. Red Dead Online followed roughly six months after Red Dead Redemption 2. Leaks suggest GTA 6’s online component could go live approximately one month after the single-player launch.
During this transition period, GTA 5 Online will continue operating. Zelnick’s repeated assurances and the financial data make it clear that Rockstar will not flip the switch overnight. However, as GamingBolt noted, the long-term trajectory is predictable: once enough players migrate to the new platform, development resources will shift accordingly, and GTA 5 Online will eventually wind down. Take-Two’s treatment of other franchises, like shutting down WWE 2K24’s online when new entries arrive, shows the company does retire older services when the business case changes.
What About PC and Last-Gen Console Players?
Since GTA 6 is console-exclusive at launch, PC gamers and those on PS4 or Xbox One will rely on GTA 5 Online as their primary GTA multiplayer experience for an extended period. PC players alone represent nearly 900,000 weekly users, and the combined last-gen audience exceeds 2.9 million per week. This substantial player base provides strong justification for continued support on those platforms even after GTA 6 Online is established on current-gen consoles.
GTA 5 Online Lifetime Revenue: Over $5 Billion
To understand why Rockstar is in no rush to kill GTA Online, consider the lifetime numbers. According to leaked financial data, GTA Online has generated over $5 billion in revenue since its 2013 launch. Even in recent years with declining content investment, the game still brings in around $400-500 million annually. GTA 5 itself remains a sales juggernaut, shipping another 5 million copies in Take-Two’s Q3 2026 quarter alone, pushing its all-time total to 225 million units. The Grand Theft Auto franchise as a whole has now sold 465 million copies.
If you are still actively playing GTA 5 Online and have built up a valuable account with high-level characters, rare vehicles, and premium properties, it remains a sought-after commodity. GTA 5 Online accounts can be securely bought and sold on GamerMarkt, where sellers can list details like character level, owned businesses, and vehicle collections for interested buyers.
The Questions Players Keep Asking
Will GTA Online servers shut down when GTA 6 comes out?
No. Take-Two’s CEO has explicitly stated that support will continue. The servers will remain active at least through 2027 and likely beyond. A shutdown would only come much later, after the player base has naturally migrated to GTA 6’s online mode.
Can I transfer my GTA Online progress to GTA 6?
Rockstar has made no announcement about character or inventory transfers. When GTA 5 moved from PS3/Xbox 360 to PS4/Xbox One, character transfers were available for a limited time. However, GTA 6 is a completely new game, so a direct progress transfer is considered unlikely by most industry observers.
When will GTA 6 Online launch?
No official date has been given. Based on Rockstar’s history, it could arrive anywhere from two weeks to six months after the single-player release. Leaker estimates point to approximately one month after the November 19 launch, which would place it in late December 2026.
What is Project R.O.M.E.?
Project R.O.M.E. stands for Rockstar Online Modding Engine. It is a rumoured official modding and multiplayer platform expected to launch with or shortly after GTA 6. Built following Rockstar’s acquisition of the FiveM team, it would provide sanctioned tools for custom servers, roleplay experiences, and user-generated content, potentially replacing third-party mod frameworks entirely.
Will GTA 6 Online have more than 32 players?
Court documents confirmed at least one 32-player mode is being developed, matching current GTA Online’s maximum capacity. However, this may refer to specific game modes only. Free-roam sessions could potentially support more players, but nothing beyond 32 has been confirmed in any official or leaked documentation so far.
Is GTA 5 Online still worth playing in 2026?
With nearly 10 million weekly players, regular events, a confirmed summer 2026 DLC, and hundreds of hours of existing content, GTA Online remains one of the most active multiplayer games in the world. It will continue to be a vibrant experience through GTA 6’s launch and well into the transition period.
