How GTA 6 became a global phenomenon we can’t ignore

Video game franchise Grand Theft Auto is often newsworthy, but its upcoming instalment – the sixth in the series – was already breaking records months before its November release. It may even be on track to become the most commercially successful entertainment product of all time, a record currently held by its predecessor, GTA 5 (2013). Read more: Grand Theft Auto 6 could make US$3–5 billion in the next week. Here’s how games make so much money The franchise’s popularity has only been matched by controversies around its alleged encouragement of violent and anti-social behaviour, both in-game and in real life. With all of this now supercharged by an algorithmic attention economy, GTA 6’s arrival is sure to rock the gaming world. The GTA life chose me Before it was a mega-franchise, Grand Theft Auto started out as a weird little PC game in 1997. It was one of the first attempts at an “open-world” game, in which players are more or less free to roam around and do what they want. Of course, “what players wanted” turned out to be eyebrow-raising stuff, such as car theft, crime, simulated torture and enactments of virtual sexual violence. The open-world formula wasn’t lightning in a bottle, though; the series only really took off in 2001, with the release of Grand Theft Auto III. This was when the game adopted its now-signature 3D environment and technology, delivering a level of immersion and authenticity that has only improved with advancements in graphics. The third instalment also took huge leaps in narrative, characterisation and world-building – rounding out a fully prestige gameplay experience. For some players, Grand Theft Auto is an invitation to act out their wild dreams. Rockstar Games The franchise had another major boost (and accessed a new market) in 2013 with the expansion of GTA 5 into GTA Online. Instead of playing solo against computer-controlled adversaries, players could be set against, or teamed up with, other players from across the globe. With its online component, GTA 5 ranks in the top five most-streamed games on Twitch over the past year: people don’t just love playing it, they also love watching others play it. The game’s popularity has even led to some more highbrow exploits, such as a performance of Hamlet within the game world. The GTA franchise has appealed to a diverse range of players, all looking for something different. And these opportunities for escapism account for much of its success. In the latest iteration, GTA 6 follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos as they give their relationship another shot in Vice City, Leonida (a fictionalised Florida). Players can play as both Lucia and Jason as they’re thrust into a shady underworld of drugs, gangs, and cartel-aligned syndicates. The inclusion of adult content and sexually explicit scenes seems likely to ratchet up further controversy once the game is released. A chequered past: grand controversy Of course, gamers love breaking the rules – and no more so than when bans and controversy spill over into the real world. Most of the controversy around the franchise has related to its glamorisation of violence and alleged connection to real-world events such as shootings (including one by an eight-year-old boy). However, there is no research that substantiates a causal link between playing GTA and committing violent crime. In fact, experts call this assumption the “Grand Theft Fallacy”. Violent crime is influenced by a wide range of complex socioeconomic factors, rather than discrete gaming behaviours. Nonetheless, the moral outrage surrounding GTA has certainly enhanced the series’ visibility. With high impact violence, sex scenes and drug use, the game is rated 18+ in several regions including Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Rockstar Games The franchise has also been supercharged by the emergence of algorithmic amplification. On social media, outrage sells, and attention begets attention. GTA’s digital footprint has become so huge that it now directly influences pop culture, inspiring close readings and regular public commentary. Even (perhaps especially) the people who hate it help push it further into the spotlight. From a sociological perspective, the stigmatisation of the player community – which may be labelled as “deviant” – can encourage a siege mentality, thereby eroding any potential for pro-social behaviours. A win for gaming? It’s not so simple The franchise’s heightened visibility also feeds into a wider challenge facing the video game industry. With around 720 games released each week on Steam, the market is saturated. This can make it very difficult for small, independent creators to have their work noticed. With billions of eyeballs glued to the same massive products day in and day out, genuine creativity in video game development becomes difficult to sustain. While “capitalism is ruining video games” is perhaps a bit of a stretch, we also can’t just “turn our controllers over to the invisible hand”. The raw human cost of market concentration can be measured in massive industry layoffs. At the time of writing, more than 11,000 people had lost their jobs due to studio closures in 2026 – often at the behest of large public companies such as Microsoft. While GTA’s success seems to have shielded its developers from these kinds of economic contractions, regular layoffs seem to be at the heart of the broader games industry. Every one of those job losses is an experienced creative now struggling to make ends meet. What to do, then? Maybe you, like many others, have planned to take a day (or week) off work to celebrate the release of GTA 6. But at least toss a coin towards the brave souls working on the games you’ve hardly heard of. You never know, you might help in bringing about the next Silksong. Read more: Want to take leave or call in sick to play Grand Theft Auto 6? Here’s how not to break the law