Grand Theft Auto 6’s marketing push is set to begin soon, and many are wondering how much Rockstar and Take-Two actually have to do to promote the game given the unprecedented levels of hype behind it. Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick discussed this in an interview, saying “no matter how big a franchise is,” marketing remains important, and GTA 6 is no exception.
“The consumers need to engage with that prior to release. And I think the motion picture business reflects that as well,” Zelnick, a former movie executive, told IGN.
He cited the Mission: Impossible series as an example. It’s a famous franchise, but the studio behind would still “spend a whole lot of money” marketing the sequels “even though we kind of know what we’re going to get.”
“Marketing is still an important part of any entertainment release,” he said. He didn’t comment specifically on GTA 6, saying Rockstar itself will make its own announcements later on.
GTA 6’s marketing push is set to begin this summer, so it could happen anytime now. Before this, Zelnick said promoting GTA 6 will be a “challenge” because Rockstar and Take-Two want to be “delicate” with how they push the game.
“It has to feel like, you know, this is real. We’re not selling hamburgers. We’re selling this unique art form,” he said.
GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC edition has not been confirmed, but history suggests it will come later.
GTA 6 is expected to sell 40 million copies and drive more than $3 billion in revenue during its first year. GTA 6 has enormous shoes to fill, as predecessor GTA 5 has sold more than 230 million copies and generated tons more money from GTA Online.
Developer Rockstar has yet to announce a price point, but Zelnick recently said the game will be price at a “reasonable” level, whatever that means.
