Ahead of the debut of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, the video game franchise is approaching the launch with an impressive record of commercial success, controversy and a loyal global following since its introduction in 1997.
Created by Rockstar Games, the Grand Theft Auto series has sold approximately 480 million copies, according to figures from its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, published on Monday.
Its 2013 instalment, Grand Theft Auto V, accounts for nearly 235 million of those sales, making it the second best-selling video game of all time, behind Minecraft.
The release of GTA VI will bring the number of standalone titles and expansion packs in the franchise to 17, alongside GTA Online.
The latest instalment also ends a 13-year wait for fans who have been anticipating a successor to GTA V.
Initially scheduled for release in late 2025, the game was postponed twice, with Rockstar explaining that it needed additional time “to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect”.
The commercial success of the franchise was already evident with GTA V, which generated $1 billion in sales within just three days of its release in 2013.
According to Take-Two, it was the fastest any entertainment product had reached the billion-dollar milestone, achieving the feat two days faster than the film Avengers: Endgame.
Beyond its sales figures, the franchise has also grown considerably in scale and technical ambition.
GTA V features the fictional city of Los Santos and its surrounding suburbs, covering approximately 75 square kilometres, according to its official map.
For GTA VI, Rockstar has promised a map twice as large, featuring Vice City and the fictional state of Leonida, which is reportedly inspired by Florida.
The upcoming game is also expected to be one of the largest video games in terms of storage requirements, taking up approximately 212 gigabytes at launch.
Depending on internet speeds, downloading the game could take anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours. Rockstar made the game available for pre-loading ahead of its release in an effort to reduce pressure on its servers on launch day.
The new instalment will also introduce Lucia Caminos, marking a significant moment in the franchise’s history of playable female characters.
Before her introduction, only six female characters had been playable across the series since its launch in 1997.
However, the franchise’s history has not been without controversy. In 2022, approximately 90 videos showing different stages of GTA VI’s development were stolen and leaked online.
The incident offered an early glimpse of the highly anticipated game while raising questions about security within the gaming industry.
The series has also attracted considerable public scrutiny over its violent content and themes.
By 2009, more than 4,000 articles had been written about the franchise, prompting Guinness World Records to describe Grand Theft Auto as the world’s most controversial video game franchise.
Its productions have also involved notable contributions from the entertainment industry.
According to the 2009 Guinness World Records book, GTA IV featured 861 voice actors, including Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, actor Samuel L. Jackson and rapper and actor Ice-T.
As the franchise prepares for its next chapter, its record-breaking sales, cultural influence and enduring controversies underline why Grand Theft Auto remains one of the most recognisable names in video gaming.
