GTA 6 To Have “Largest Game Launch In History,” Rockstar Says

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GTA 6 is expected to have an enormous launch in May 2026, and a newly spotted job ad at developer Rockstar Games says it could be “the largest game launch in history.”

The job ad for a lead software engineer of data engineering mentions the position falls under the “online services” division at Rockstar Games in the office in New York City. The successful candidate will help Rockstar’s team manage what is expected to be, in its own words, a record-breaking launch.

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Now Playing: GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI) – Official Release Date Reveal | Trailer 2

“With the continued growth of Grand Theft Auto Online and the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, the successful candidate will lead both the evolution and operation of the data platform supporting what will be the largest game launch in history, ensuring it scales to deliver an exceptional experience for millions of players worldwide,” the job ad states (via PC Gamer).

Given the avalanche of hype surrounding GTA 6, it’s not a stretch to believe the game could indeed have the “largest game launch” of all time and break records, however that’s measured. In terms of sales, one company believes it could move 40 million units in its first year. Technically speaking, many large-scale game launches suffer from server and stability issues at launch as people attempt to play at the same time. This was an issue with Silksong recently, and GTA 6 is expected to be factors bigger.

Something that remains to be seen about GTA 6’s launch is if it will also include an online mode. Some may recall that when GTA 5 launched in September 2013, it did so without GTA Online. That mode didn’t arrive until October 2013. Rockstar followed a similar playbook with Red Dead Redemption II, as its single-player launched in October 2018 and multiplayer, Red Dead Online, came out in November 2018, arriving first as a beta test. To be clear, Rockstar has not even said that GTA 6 will have an online mode as of yet, but that’s a very safe bet given how successful GTA Online is. Even if GTA 6 does not launch with an online mode, the immense demand for the main game itself could cause server strain and hiccups.

Analyst Mat Piscatella has said he believes GTA 6 is the most important game launch in history to help the video game industry rebound.

GTA 6 launches on May 26, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It takes place in Vice City, a stand-in for Miami, and follows the story of Jason and Lucia.

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