Take-Two CEO Confirms Legacy Games Before GTA 6

What will happen to GTA Online once Grand Theft Auto 6 launches? Many players have been asking this question since GTA 6 was first announced. Now, with the fall 2025 release date drawing closer, an answer still seems distant.

GTA Online remains Rockstar's highly profitable live service, attracting a dedicated player base more than a decade after its initial launch. Its lasting popularity and revenue-generating power are believed to have led Rockstar to prioritize the live service over story DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5—a decision that disappointed some fans. But an even more urgent question is emerging.

When GTA 6 arrives, it's widely expected to introduce a new and enhanced version of GTA Online. Whether it's called GTA Online 2 or retains the original name, longtime players worry that the time, effort, and money they’ve invested in the current version could be left behind, leading to a possible fresh start later this year.

So why continue investing time and money into GTA Online in early 2025 when a new iteration could launch in roughly eight months? IGN posed this question to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick ahead of the company’s third-quarter earnings report, and his response offers intriguing insight.

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Although Zelnick avoided specifics on a new GTA Online since nothing has been officially announced, he did discuss Take-Two’s track record with NBA 2K Online—a free-to-play, online-centric version of the popular basketball franchise designed for the Asian market.

NBA 2K Online originally launched in 2012, followed by NBA 2K Online 2 in 2017. Both titles were maintained concurrently, allowing players of the original to continue investing time and money without the fear of being abandoned.

“I'll keep this theoretical because I won't comment on unannounced projects,” Zelnick stated. “Generally, we continue supporting our games as long as the community remains engaged. For example, we launched NBA 2K Online in China around 2012, I believe, and then released NBA 2K Online 2 there in 2017. We didn’t shut down the first game—they both remain available, each serving a dedicated audience.

“That shows our commitment to maintaining legacy titles when there’s a passionate player base.”

That final point is particularly telling. It implies—though doesn't confirm—that if a GTA Online 2 is released, it won't necessarily mean the end of the original GTA Online. If players stick with the current version, Rockstar appears willing to keep supporting it.

It’s worth remembering that we still know very little about GTA 6 beyond the initial trailer and the fall 2025 release window. If the game is truly set to launch next year, possibly after Borderlands 4’s recently announced September release, Rockstar will need to share more information soon. In the meantime, see what Zelnick had to say about whether skipping a PC release for GTA 6 is a strategic error.