The looming release of *Grand Theft Auto 6* in fall 2025 has sparked curiosity among *GTA Online* players about the future of their beloved game. Since its announcement, the question of what will happen to *GTA Online* once *GTA 6* hits the market has been on everyone's mind, yet no definitive answers have surfaced as the release date draws closer.
*GTA Online*, Rockstar's lucrative live service, continues to attract players even over a decade after its launch. Its ongoing success and profitability have led Rockstar to focus on this live service rather than story DLC for *Grand Theft Auto 5*, a decision that has frustrated some fans. However, the real concern for many is what will happen to their investments in the current *GTA Online* when *GTA 6* launches, potentially bringing a new version of *GTA Online*—whether it's called *GTA Online 2* or simply *GTA Online*.
The fear of losing progress, time, and money invested in the existing *GTA Online* has led players to question the wisdom of continuing to invest in it, especially with the new version possibly arriving in just eight months. This concern was recently addressed by Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick during an interview before the company's third-quarter financial report.
Answer See ResultsWhile Zelnick did not comment specifically on any new *GTA Online* due to the absence of an official announcement, he discussed Take-Two's approach with *NBA 2K Online*, a free-to-play online version of 2K Sports' successful basketball franchise for the Asian market. Launched in 2012, followed by *NBA 2K Online 2* in 2017, both games were supported concurrently, allowing fans to continue playing the original without being left behind.
“I'm going to speak theoretically only because I'm not going to talk about a particular project when an announcement hasn't been made,” Zelnick stated. “But generally speaking, we support our properties when the consumers are involved with those titles. As an example, we launched *NBA 2K Online* in China, I think originally in 2012 if I'm not mistaken. And then we launched *NBA 2K Online 2* in China in 2017. If I'm not mistaken. We did not sunset Online 1. They both are still in the market and they serve consumers and they're alive and we have this massive audience.
“So we've shown a willingness to support legacy titles when a community wants to be engaged with them.”
This statement hints that if there is a *GTA Online 2*, the original *GTA Online* might continue to be supported, provided the community remains engaged. It's important to remember, however, that much about *GTA 6* remains unknown, with only Trailer 1 and a release window released so far. As *GTA 6* is slated for a fall 2025 launch, potentially following *Borderlands 4*'s September release, Rockstar will need to provide more details soon. In the meantime, you can read Zelnick's thoughts on whether skipping a PC launch for *GTA 6* would be a mistake.
