New GTA 6 marketing schedule hints at 2023 release date

The next installment in the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto franchise could still be a way off, with new Take-Two Interactive marketing plans seeming confirming a 2023 release date for the long-awaited sequel.

Fans of Rockstar’s open-world series may have to continue holding their breath in anticipation for GTA VI. Despite months of supposed leaks and rumors surrounding a nearby release date, it appears as though 2023 is the new year in focus.

The latest SEC filing from Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive alludes to a major marketing shift. These new plans could help us pin down 2023 as the year of the next GTA title.

Each year the major gaming industry publisher files its financial statements and plans for the future. The latest SEC filing features a noticeable shift over the past 12 months. Instead of allocating $78.1 million to the 2023 financial year, $89.2 million has been locked in for the 2024 financial year.

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This is an enormous spike compared to the surrounding years that range from $11.8 million in 2021 to $25.5 million in 2025. While these figures are subject to change as each financial year comes and goes, this new timeline, and the extreme ramp up therein, could pinpoint the release of GTA VI.

While the marketing push could always be for a new IP, a release in a different series, or something else together, history points towards it being for GTA VI, according to industry analyst Jeff Cohen.

“We are not sure how much we should be reading into this shift, but we would note that this disclosure accurately predicted the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 prior to that game’s announcement,” he said.

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If everything aligns similar to the build of Red Dead Redemption 2, this pins a release window between April 2023 and March 2024 for the next GTA. 

With such a major marketing push already in the pipeline, it’s evident Take-Two is gearing up for one of its biggest releases ever. What better title to push than GTA? 

While plans could always change, and the release could be delayed, it’s likely fans of the series can expect the next open-world spectacle in three to four years.