5 big things GTA Online fans learnt from Take-Two Q4 report

The latest Take-Two Q4 report shed some light on GTA Online and its future, and fans can learn a lot from it. Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Grand Theft Auto developers Rockstar Games, held their Q4 2024 earnings call on May 16, 2024. The reports that came out suggest that Grand Theft Auto 5 and its online component are still a major cash cow for the company.

Although this isn't too surprising, the numbers are quite impressive for a game that's almost 11 years old at this point. Nevertheless, the Take-Two Q4 report also shed some light on Grand Theft Auto Online, and here are the points that fans should know about.

Note: Some parts of the article are speculative, based on the report.

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Things to know about GTA Online from Take-Two Q4 report

1) The game is still selling quite well

Grand Theft Auto V is still doing well in terms of sales. (Image via Rockstar Games)

As per the Take-Two Q4 report, Grand Theft Auto 5 has managed to sell over 200 million copies, with five million of which were sold in the last quarter alone. In fact, Take-Two described the game as the “best-selling title of the past 10 years in the US.” Many players who buy the game nowadays are doing so mostly for GTA Online, as the game receives frequent updates.

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2) Shark Cards are getting less popular

In-game microtransactions aren't selling as much. (Image via Rockstar Games)

Compared to last year, GTA Online has gained 23% more players, according to the Take-Two Q4 report. However, it appears that in-game microtransactions are no longer as popular, as Take-Two has informed investors that they anticipate GTA Online's earnings to decline. Shark Cards are the sole form of microtransactions in the game, and these provide you with a temporary monetary boost.

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3) GTA+ membership on the rise

GTA+ is a subscription-based service that provides several bonuses. (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although in-game microtransactions are declining in Grand Theft Auto Online, the GTA+ subscription service seems to have been a success. According to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, the number of subscribers has doubled since this time last year.

Restricting in-game vehicles, perks, bonuses, and other items to members only is one of the many strategies the company has been experimenting with to make this exclusive membership more alluring, and it appears to have worked.

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4) Zelnick acknowledged GTA RP

GTA RP is another way to experience multiplayer GTA 5. (Image via Rockstar Games)

Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, acknowledged the popularity of GTA RP in the Take-Two Q4 report, stating:

"Grand Theft Auto V also reclaimed its top spot as the most watched video game across all platforms according to Streamhatchet, thanks largely to the tremendous viewership from the series’ thriving role play community."

It should be noted that while Grand Theft Auto RP (roleplay) is not the same as GTA Online, it's merely a different way to experience online gameplay for Grand Theft Auto V. In fact, fans expect GTA Online 2.0 to take notes from RP servers.

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5) Regular updates might be available till 2024

GTA Online is likely to be updated throughout 2024. (Image via Rockstar Games)

This one's mostly speculative, but we can assume that GTA Online will keep getting updates throughout 2024. This is because the official release window for Grand Theft Auto 6 was announced alongside the Take-Two Q4 report, and it's slated to be released in Fall 2025 (between September and November).

So, Rockstar will most likely keep delivering major content updates for Grand Theft Auto Online at least up until GTA 6 is released. While there's always a possibility that they would want to keep GTA Online alive even after the next game is launched, the frequent DLCs might stop coming.