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GTA 5 had more players in 2020 than any previous year

GTA 5 and GTA Online had its most successful year thus far in 2020.

Donovan Erskine

February 9, 2021 12:35 PM

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It’s been nearly eight years since Grand Theft Auto 5 was released. In that time, it’s grown to not only be the most successful GTA game, but one of the best-selling video games of all time. With a decade anniversary just around the corner, fans have been starving for details on GTA 6. However, this isn’t at all an indictment on the ongoing popularity of GTA 5, as the game has just hit a major milestone. GTA 5 and GTA Online had more players in 2020 than in any previous year.

This news comes from a recent earnings call held by publisher Take Two Interactive. The parent company of Rockstar Games, Take Two oversees titles like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto. During the call, executives shared that GTA 5 has now sold 140 million units since its release. The company announced GTA 5 sold more copies in 2020 than in any previous year. What’s more, the game had a larger player base than any year since its launch.

While this news is impressive, it doesn’t come as too big of a surprise. Rockstar has continued to supply GTA Online with new content and updates. Most recently, the Cayo Perico Heist added a new location to the game as well as more missions for players to tackle. Of course, this news may be mildly concerning for those hoping to hear about GTA 6 anytime soon, as the record-breaking success of GTA 5 may mean Rockstar is in no rush to push out the next installment.

GTA 5 is one of the best-selling games of all time, and GTA Online continues to be wildly popular, particularly on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. It’ll be fascinating to see what Rockstar does with the series as we transition into the new generation of consoles. For more on Grand Theft Auto, stick with us on Shacknews.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_