It has been a year since GTA 6 has revealed a new trailer. It was in May 2025 that Rockstar set the internet on fire with the release of GTA 6 trailer 2, which came out more than a year after the first one. The wait for trailer 3 continues, and fans are undoubtedly struggling to hang on. But does GTA 6 really need a trailer 3 to be successful? As the most anticipated entertainment franchise of all time, is GTA 6 uniquely positioned to succeed without showing gameplay footage before its launch?
This is the question I asked Take-Two’s boss, Strauss Zelnick, before the company’s fiscal 2026 financial report was released. Although he was evasive in his response, he generally mentioned the need for all entertainment properties, regardless of their size, to generate consumer interest before launch. And he used Mission: Impossible and Tom Cruise to illustrate his point.
“Listen, I mean, Rockstar will address all aspects of GTA in due time,” Zelnick began. “So, I can only speak theoretically about marketing entertainment properties. And I truly believe that, no matter how important a franchise is, consumers need to be interested before its release. And I think the cinema industry also reflects this trend.”
“So, if you’re releasing a Mission: Impossible sequel, believe me, the studio will still spend a lot of money to market that title, even if we more or less know what to expect, that we know we’ll see Tom Cruise and we’re excited to see him. Marketing remains an essential element of any entertainment release.”
Take-Two announced that Rockstar Games would launch the marketing campaign for GTA 6 this summer (pre-orders are expected at the same time), and today the company confirmed the game’s release date in November, dispelling any concerns about a possible delay. Take-Two expects to record revenue of $8 to $8.2 billion during fiscal year 2027, representing a 20% increase from the previous year, mainly due to the launch of GTA 6. Take-Two recorded revenue of $6.72 billion in fiscal year 2026; the GTA 6 effect could therefore reach $1.5 billion.
Earlier this month, Business Insider reported that Take-Two had spent between $1 and $1.5 billion on GTA 6 so far. This game is also expected to be the biggest launch of all time in the entertainment industry, breaking all records in terms of sales and revenue in the video game sector. Rockstar has not yet announced the game’s price, and the industry is waiting to see if GTA 6 will exceed $70.
The release of GTA 6 is scheduled for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S on November 19, 2026.
