Before GTA 6: Every GTA game made Rockstar bigger than ever

GTA 6 pre-orders opened up earlier this week and as one would expect, that is all the gaming community can talk about these days. Even PC gamers, who won’t be getting to play the game on launch day, are excited about the release. And this level of excitement for a GTA game isn’t happening for the first time. Over a decade back, in 2013, people were seen queuing up outside stores to grab their copy of GTA 5. It is safe to say that GTA is no longer just a gaming franchise. It is now one of the biggest entertainment brands in the world, one that can rival blockbuster movies, sell hundreds of millions of copies, and keep players hooked for years. 

And Rockstar didn’t build this legacy overnight. Every GTA release pushed the franchise to new heights, turning what started as a niche top-down crime game into one of the most successful video game series of all time. Before GTA 6 arrives and attempts to rewrite the record books yet again, let us take a look at how every major Grand Theft Auto release made Rockstar bigger than ever. 

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Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2: Where it all began

Now as a 90s kid, my introduction to the world of GTA was with Vice City that came out in 2002. But before we were all checking out every corner of Tommy Vercetti’s mansion after completing the game, there was the first ever GTA game – Grand Theft Auto. The game launched back in 1997 and reportedly sold over 3.5 million copies. PS: The game’s name was supposed to be Race-n-Chase earlier. 

And this game looked nothing like the series we know now. Instead of a third-person view in a 3D city, gamers at the time got a birds-eye view. Still, a few things were common- stealing cars, outrunning police officers, and completing missions.

The game had sparked controversy almost immediately because of its violent and criminal themes. And it was this controversy that helped put GTA on the map. Now the game wasn’t really a blockbuster at the time, but selling over 3.5 million copies was a strong result for a brand-new IP in the late 1990s.

Also, Rockstar discovered something far more valuable than sales here. Players loved the freedom to create chaos instead of following a linear path.

Then came Grand Theft Auto 2 in 1999. This was the sequel that refined the original formula with better visuals and a reputation system that changed how gangs reacted to players. It is important to note that the birds-eye view was still there. 

Now, despite the improvements, GTA 2 didn’t become a breakout success. It sold fewer copies than the original (around 2 million) and remained a relatively niche franchise.

And if you think back at that point, few people would have predicted that GTA would one day compete with Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. But, everything changed just two years later.

GTA III: The game that changed open-world gaming forever

This is where the franchise carved a niche for itself. With GTA III, launched in 2001, Rockstar Games introduced a whole new world that completely changed what players at the time expected from open-world games. The studio bid adieu to the top-down view and shifted to the third person perspective. Hence, Liberty City felt alive for players in a way few games had managed before. 

Cars filled the streets, pedestrians reacted to the player’s actions, and every corner of the city invited exploration. And back in 2001, this was a pretty big deal. This reflected in the game’s sales figures as GTA III reportedly sold around 14.5 million copies. Thus, the game turned out to be several times bigger than the first two games combined.

GTA Vice City: Bigger, louder and impossible to ignore

Building on the success of GTA III, Rockstar Games’ next game was GTA: Vice City. The game came out in 2002 and had a bigger and memorable map. The game reportedly sold around 1.4 million copies in its first week in the US. Later, the figure jumped to 17.5 million copies. 

Now Rockstar could have played it safe after GTA III. However, it delivered one of gaming’s most memorable settings. Talking about setting, Vice City’s colourful 1980s atmosphere, unforgettable soundtrack, Hawaiian shirts, neon lights and the Scarface-inspired story made the game an instant classic. It wasn’t just another GTA. It had its own identity. Perhaps this is why, we will be visiting the same setting in GTA 6.

GTA San Andreas: Rockstar’s biggest leap yet

Now, after the super successful Vice City, we got to experience Los Santos in GTA San Andreas in 2004. In its first week, it reportedly sold around 2.1 million copies. And this figure later jumped to a mammoth 27.5 million.

So basically, if Vice City proved Rockstar could repeat its success, San Andreas proved the studio could dream even bigger.

The game came with three cities, a huge map, a more realistic progression system, gyms, restaurants, gang wars, flying aircraft and much more. For many fans, it remains the greatest GTA ever made.

PS: This also became one of the best-selling PlayStation 2 games of all time, with roughly 27.5 million copies sold worldwide.

GTA IV (2008): The franchise enters the HD era

After GTA San Andreas, the next major game came out 4 years later in 2008 and was a big hit. Launched for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, GTA IV looked more realistic than anything that Rockstar had created before. The Euphoria physics engine made every crash, fight and explosion feel dynamic, while Niko Bellic’s storyline gave the series a more mature tone. And this was reflected in the game’s sales. The game sold more than 6 million copies in the opening week and its lifetime sales are reportedly over 25 million copies. 

GTA V: The game that changed everything

GTA V launch is an event that no gamer can forget. Back in 2013, this game came out and gamers were seen lining up outside gaming stores late at night to buy the physical disk. The game sold over 16 million copies during its first week and its lifetime sales stood at a staggering 230 million copies. The launch revenue of the game along was reportedly $1.15 billion. 

This was the first time that GTA had introduced 3 protagonists and we could switch among them while roaming around the world. GTA V’s map was also much bigger in comparison to GTA IV and the super detailed  open world kept people busy for hours. The biggest surprise here came after the game’s launch. GTA Online transformed GTA V from a successful single-player game into a platform that players kept returning to for more than a decade. Today, more than a decade later, players still enjoy GTA online from time to time.  

In addition to this, GTA V continues to appear on monthly sales charts around the world, something almost unheard of in the gaming industry.

All eyes on GTA 6

It is quite clear that almost every mainstream GTA game has been bigger than the one before.

The original game introduced the idea, GTA III reinvented open-world gaming, Vice City made the franchise iconic, San Andreas expanded its ambition, GTA IV proved the series could dominate a new console generation, and finally GTA V became one of the biggest games ever created.

Naturally, GTA 6 isn’t expected to be just another good game. Expectations from it are soaring high and it is expected to surpass its predecessor which managed to remain relevant for more than a decade. That’s a super high standard by any measure. 

What do you think about GTA 6 and do you feel that the game will create the same effect as its predecessor? Do let us know and keep watching this space for more such updates. 

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