GTA 6 could be set for a 2023 release date, according to a new Rockstar budget report. The new report, released by Rockstar’s parent company publisher Take-Two, indicates a huge increase in its marketing budget for the 2023/24 financial year, suggesting that a major new release is being planned for this time period.
The budget report indicates that $89 million will be spent by Take-Two on marketing in 2023/24, up from $40 million in the previous financial year. Its 2024/25 marketing budget will decrease again, lowering back down to $35 million.
Additionally, Take-Two’s expenses on software development and licensing will begin to lower in the 2024/25 financial year. This indicates that projects which include payments to developers under contract with the company will be winding down, with this budget plummeting from $150 million in 2022/23, to $69 million in 2024/25.
Rockstar has yet to confirm that Grand Theft Auto 6 is on its way, though a next-gen GTA game for the PS5 and Xbox Series X seems inevitable. GTA 5 and its GTA Online component have been bank-rolling successes for both the developer and Take-Two, with them likely looking to emulate this success on the next generation of consoles.
While this budget report doesn’t guarantee that GTA 6 will launch within 2023/24, it’s arguably the largest indicator that the new GTA is on its way. Unless Take-Two is working on another blockbuster project that would require such a heavy investment, GTA 6 is the most likely candidate for such a monumental rise in the company’s budget.