In a world where Call of Duty and EA Sports titles receive yearly follow-ups, it’s interesting to see the general reaction to Grand Theft Auto. Each new release feels like a momentous occasion, especially Grand Theft Auto 6, which analysts expect to generate $10 billion. What’s the secret behind the series’ long-lasting appeal?
Speaking to Lex Fridman, former Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser said it’s the fact that each new title always feels different. While the gap between releases is a factor, the development team avoids rushing out a new entry.
“I think we did a really good job of constantly innovating within what the IP was. The games always felt different, you know, people have very strong feelings. ‘I like this one. I didn’t like that one as much.’ Because they are pretty different.”
Not that Rockstar is trying to hide the core appeal of the franchise, i.e. embodying a criminal or three and going absolutely wild in a massive sandbox. But how it goes about that feels different each time.
“It’s a Grand Theft Auto, you know, it’s going to be a game about being a criminal, but the way it’s going to be a game is going to change quite a lot. So, I think the way the IP kept evolving made people really excited to play it.”
Marketing also plays a big part. “We really tried to market them in a way that felt like an update of classic film marketing, where you really felt like you’re already in the product just because you’d seen the trailers and stuff,” says Houser.
Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on May 26th, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. It will be the first game in the series’ history that doesn’t feature any writing or characters by Houser.
