How Much Money Did Each GTA Series Make?

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is among the top video games in the world and is known for its excellent build and content in the world of gaming. Since its success after its initial release, the game has slowly developed into one of the most-played franchises in gaming. Through the years, the GTA games have not only demolished sales records but have also achieved many incredible feats. One of the biggest and most successful changes brought in by the franchise is GTA Online. Before, GTA was largely a single-player experience, however, upon the launch of GTA Online, it became a multiplayer game which further boosted the game’s popularity and launched it to new financial heights.

It’s because of this insane success of the GTA franchise, that publishers Rockstar Games have gained a reputation for being one of the most accomplished AAA publishers in the industry. Looking at the amount of effort put in by Rockstar Games to publish AAA titles that are worth the price, it’s not difficult to see why they are among the most reputable gaming companies.

One doesn’t even need to look too far for proof of their success. The sales for the GTA franchise alone are enough to prove why they are among the best. Even after all these years, GTA continues to be one of the most popular gaming titles, even in 2023. So, let’s take a look at approximately how much money each GTA Series has made so far.

How much money did the GTA Series make so far?

As per credible sources, the entire GTA franchise as of 2019, is worth a whopping $9.986 Billion. According to predictions, the figure could have very well increased in 2023 and could possibly have reached the $10 billion mark worldwide. However, it seems that the franchise took a little bit of a hit in 2023, as per Take-Two’s FY2023 financial report. According to the report, GTA made $300 million less in 2023 than it did in 2022.

Despite earning $300 million less than the previous year, the franchise still recorded 2023 as its third-best year since GTA 5 came out as it earned over $780 million in revenue. Compared to this, in 2022, the GTA franchise earned a whopping $1.083 billion. This decrease in GTA revenue also caused a decline in PC, console, and other revenue.

Financial Breakdown:

• From 1997 – 2009: Earned $3.368 Billion
• From 2012 – 2018: Earned $6.023 Billion
• In 2019 – $595 Million

With such jaw-dropping results in 22 years alone, the GTA franchise is undoubtedly one of the best-selling gaming IPs in the market. While the statistics have shown the revenue up until 2019, it is believed that the entire net worth of the franchise is now worth even more in 2023. As seen above, GTA continues to bring in massive revenue to the parent company of Rockstar Games, Take Two. Even though there is a slight drop in 2023, the franchise is slated to show even more promising results in the next financial year.

How much money did each GTA Series make?

Let’s take a look at each of the many games that fall under the GTA franchise, and the approximate amount of money they have made after their release.

1. Grand Theft Auto (1997 – 1999) – $3 million on PC, PS1, and GameBoy Console (GBC)
2. Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999 – 2000) – $2 million on PC, PS1, DC, and GBC
3. Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001 – 2003) – $14.5 million on PC, PS2, Xbox (March 2008)
4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002 – 2003) – $17.5 million on PC, PS2, and Xbox (March 2008)
5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004 – 2005) – $21.5 million on PC, PS2 and Xbox (March 2008)
6. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005 – 2006) – $11 million on PSP and PS2
7. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006 – 2007) – $6million on PSP and PS2
8. Grand Theft Auto 4 (2008) – $25 million on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC (November 2012)
9. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009) – $1.2 million on Nintendo DS and PSP (November 2013)
10. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City (2009 – 2010) – $3 million on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC (November 2013)
11. Grant Theft Auto 5 (2013) – $140 million on PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series (March 2021)

Impact of GTA V and GTA Online

In 2013, Rockstar Games launched GTA 5, which is the latest iteration of the game. Since its release, the franchise has made roughly over $8.33 Billion in sales. As per Take Two’s report for FY2023, GTA pulled in an income worth 14.6% of Take Two’s net revenue. A large portion of this number is attributed to come from GTA V and GTA Online. While some games even dream to hit a number close to this, GTA 5 has defied the odds by hitting the $800 million mark even after 10 years of being released. Due to this, many industry experts expect the GTA franchise to only get even bigger through the years.

So far, the GTA franchise has yet to disappoint its player base. As long as Rockstar Games continues to evolve while keeping the core message of the game intact, the GTA franchise will continue to grow. As of now, GTA 5 has continued to prove itself as the franchise’s best-selling property with GTA San Andreas being one of the highest-selling video games on PlayStation 2. What this proves is that the gaming audience knows a good AAA title game when they see one and are sure to appreciate it.

GTA 6 and the Future

As mentioned above, the GTA franchise saw a bit of a decline compared to the previous financial year. This means that Take-Two and Rockstar Games will be trying everything they can to bring those numbers up for the next fiscal year. This is where GTA 6 comes in. Now, ten years after the initial release of GTA 5, fans now have the next edition of GTA to look forward to. Announced earlier this year, Rockstar Games are already working on GTA 6 which is said to be an even more immersive and expansive experience for players.

The announcement sent a wave of excitement throughout the entire fanbase as it’s expected to be even better than GTA 5, which in itself is already an amazing gaming IP. If Rockstar Games is able to release the new edition on time, then GTA 6 is sure to boost the company’s revenue even further. However, there are some fans who are slightly worried that the next launch could suffer some quality issues if solely done to up the sales. Despite this, many have seen Rockstar Games’ track record for delivering on their promises and are not too worried about the next iteration of the game.

Since its announcement, GTA 6 has become one of the most highly-anticipated games in the industry and fans are already speculating about the new features of the game. So far, Rockstar Games have been mostly vague about the details regarding GTA 6 and have not confirmed many of the leaks that have allegedly been released. The only thing fans know about the upcoming game is that the map will be bigger than past iterations and that there will be two main protagonists in the game.

If Rockstar Games manages to successfully launch GTA 6, it is bound to usher in more years of riding success just like GTA 5. So until then, the entire gaming industry and GTA fans wait with bated breaths for the release of GTA 6 and the potentially brighter future for the GTA franchise.