Analyst is certain: the biggest competitor to GTA 6 will be the 12-year-old game, which is still selling very well
While it might seem that GTA VI will have no competition, according to the analyst, the game's biggest rival will turn out to be Rockstar Games' previous title.
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Grand Theft Auto VI looks set to be a huge success, likely breaking records and dominating the gaming scene in 2026. It’s hard to think of any game that could really compete with it. However, a well-known analyst thinks that Rockstar's toughest competition might actually be… Rockstar itself (via Mein-MMO).
The biggest competitor of GTA VI
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Mat Piscatella, an analyst from research firm Circana, shared his thoughts on GTA VI. He believes that the biggest competition for the upcoming game will actually come from the previous game of the series.
The biggest competitor to Grand Theft Auto VI will be Grand Theft Auto V.
Piscatella points out that one big problem is the lack of new games, and that the current times are too "crazy" for developers to even try making them. The biggest challenge comes from long-standing games that are still incredibly popular.
You look at something like Fortnite. It's been, what, seven, eight years now that that thing's been the biggest thing in the world. Or Minecraft. And Grand Theft Auto 5 launched in 2013. It's still one of the top 20 bestselling games every single month.
Additionally, Piscatella thinks that eventually the free-to-play model will become the standard, and it’s already gaining massive popularity. For comparison, some analysts estimate that GTA VI could cost even a $100, which would likely turn away some players.
In the same interview, Shawn Layden, former head of Sony Worldwide Studios, also talked about how gamers are just feeling kind of burned out right now. He thinks it’s because “the same stuff has been done for a long time,” and down the line, this could give a boost to smaller AA studios making games.
Grand Theft Auto VI will be released on May 26, 2026 on PS5 and XSX/S. The game will also be available on PC at a later date.
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Author: Martin Bukowski
Graduate of Electronics and Telecommunications at the Gdańsk University of Technology, who decided to dedicate his life to video games. In his childhood, he would get lost in the Gothic's Valley of Mines and "grind for gold" in League of Legends. Twenty years later, games still entertain him just as much. Today, he considers the Persona series and soulslike titles from From Software as his favorite games. He avoids consoles, and a special place in his heart is reserved for PC. In his spare time, he works as a translator, is creating his first game, or spends time watching movies and series (mainly animated ones).
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