Take-Two CEO Backs Legacy Games Beyond GTA 6 Era

What does the future hold for GTA Online once Grand Theft Auto 6 launches? This question has been on the minds of many players since GTA 6 was first announced. Now, as the fall 2025 release window approaches, players still await a clear answer.

GTA Online remains Rockstar's highly profitable live service, drawing in a dedicated player base more than a decade after its debut. Its lasting appeal and consistent revenue stream are believed to have influenced the studio’s decision to prioritize live-service content over story expansions for Grand Theft Auto 5—a choice that disappointed some fans. But an even bigger question looms on the horizon.

When GTA 6 finally arrives, it is expected to introduce a new and improved version of GTA Online. This could be branded as GTA Online 2 or simply continue under the original name. However, fans of the current version worry that all the time, effort, and money invested in the existing platform may be left behind once the new experience launches later this year.

So why continue investing time and money into GTA Online now, in early 2025, when a new iteration could arrive in just eight months? That’s the question IGN posed to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick in a recent interview ahead of the company’s third-quarter earnings report—and his response offers some intriguing insights.

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While Zelnick couldn’t address specifics about a new GTA Online since it hasn't been officially announced, he did highlight Take-Two's track record with NBA 2K Online—a free-to-play, online-focused version of its popular basketball series designed for Asian markets.

NBA 2K Online originally launched in 2012, and the sequel, NBA 2K Online 2, followed in 2017. Both versions were supported side-by-side, allowing fans of the original to continue playing and investing with confidence that their progress would not be abandoned.

“I’ll speak hypothetically here since I can’t discuss unannounced projects,” Zelnick explained. “Generally, we continue supporting our franchises as long as players remain engaged. For example, we launched NBA 2K Online in China back in 2012, then released NBA 2K Online 2 there in 2017. We didn’t close the first one—both are still active, serving large player communities and maintaining lively engagement.

“That shows our willingness to support legacy titles whenever there’s an active, invested audience.”

That final point is particularly important. It suggests—though does not yet confirm—that if a GTA Online 2 launches, the original GTA Online won't necessarily be left behind. If players continue engaging with the current version, Zelnick implies that Rockstar would likely continue supporting it.

It’s also worth noting how much we still don't know about GTA 6. So far, we've only seen the first trailer and received a general release window. But if the game really is set for a fall 2025 release—possibly even after Borderlands 4’s newly announced September launch—Rockstar will need to share more details sooner rather than later. In the meantime, take a look at Zelnick’s thoughts on whether skipping a PC launch for GTA 6 was the right move.