GTA 6 publisher concerned of review bombing “harm”

Publisher Take-Two Interactive has shared concerns that review bombing could “harm” its future games, including the highly anticipated GTA 6.

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind Rockstar titles such as the GTA franchise and Red Dead Redemption, has condemned the damaging review bombing trend that has infiltrated the video game, TV, and film industries in recent years.

Earlier in July 2024, Dexerto reported how Apex Legends review-bombing pushed the game to its lowest-ever Steam rating. This is not an isolated incident, with titles such as Helldivers 2 also undergoing similar treatment for various reasons.

On the TV and film side, Rings of Power, The Last of Us, and more have all found themselves in a similar position, painting a bigger picture of the widespread nature of this trend.

In a recent SEC filing, Take-Two discussed review bombing; Game File first shared these comments.

While the reasoning for review-bombing is unique to each product, Take-Two Interactive spoke out about the “harm” this trend causes and how “obtaining and maintaining high ratings of our games on the third-party platforms on which we operate are important as they help drive players to find our games.”

Furthermore, the company added, “If the ratings of any of our games decline or if we receive significant negative reviews that result in a decrease in our ratings, our games could be more difficult for players to find or recommend.”

“In addition, we may be subject to negative review campaigns or defamation campaigns intended to harm our ratings,” the filing continued.

While GTA 6 is still a while away, the sequel over a decade in the making has already been in the spotlight for a number of debats. The introduction of the franchise’s first female protagonist has been a divisive decision to say the least and has spawned a bunch of online discourse throughout the gaming community.

As such, Take-Two’s review-bombing concerns could be connected to GTA 6’s launch; the company later added, “Any such decline may lead to loss of players and revenues, additional advertising and marketing costs, and reputation harm.”