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GTA is one of the best-selling franchises in video game history, however, it seems that proceedings are slowing down financially.
The Covid-19 pandemic presented GTA 5 with its best-selling year as the game witnessed a massive influx of players joining on a regular basis. However, according to Derek Strickland, a renowned entity in games industry finance, the earnings of the whole series have declined to a pre-pandemic level, making only $202 million in Q1’23.
GTA series is returning to pre-pandemic momentum
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According to the source, Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive has declared that the series contributed to only 18.3% of its net revenues during Q1’23. He stated:
“Per TTWO 10-Q filings, GTA made 18.3% of net Q1'23 revenues ($1.102 billion).”
He also highlighted a few reasons that might lead to a fall in earnings, including:
- Lower Grand Theft Auto Online revenue, probably via Shark Cards
- Fewer copies of Grand Theft Auto 5 sold at discounts
- Poor sales of Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Definitive Edition
It's painfully obvious that the trilogy didn’t meet the expectations of both the players and the company itself. The much-maligned game is still plagued with numerous bugs, which is the reason for its poor reviews.
As per the company’s report, Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Definitive Edition sold less than a million copies for the second quarter in a row.
Despite the current decline, Rockstar recently released The Criminal Enterprises update for Grand Theft Auto Online, adding tons of new missions, vehicles, and gameplay improvements. These constant updates made the game a financial success, as announced by the company.
GTA 5 has sold over 170 million copies to date
As reported earlier by famous GTA insider, Ben, the company announced that Grand Theft Auto 5 has sold over 170 million copies worldwide to this date.
The game's relentless success, despite being released almost nine years ago, is astounding to witness. However, it’s safe to assume that part of its success can be attributed to Grand Theft Auto Online. The feature has been bolstered by consistent support from developers, receiving constant updates and unique content to remain engaging for players.
Meanwhile, the series as a whole has sold over 380 million copies worldwide till now. The source stated:
“The GRAND THEFT AUTO franchise has sold over 380 million copies to date.”
With that being said, the series seems to be reverting to its normal momentum as fans worldwide await the next major Grand Theft Auto title. With new leaks about GTA 6 surfacing every now and then, it's only a matter of time before Rockstar delivers an official announcement and regains its prominence.
