Grand Theft Auto Online already has a reputation for being riddled with microtransactions, and rumors of a mobile port could make the issue even worse. While GTA Online has benefited from plenty of attention from Rockstar, the game's inflated economy and Shark Card microtransactions have long been a sticking point for players. Mobile games suffer from pay-to-win mechanics more than most other games, so any version of GTA Online made for mobile devices would likely have an even bigger Shark Card problem than it does on consoles. 6x5s3n

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games and Project Division, seems to be looking to get into the mobile gaming market by acquiring Zynga, makers of Farmville. While many of Take-Two’s titles can be played on mobile devices, by and large, Take-Two hasn’t published much that is specifically meant to be played on mobile. The company has acquired other companies before, such as in 2020 when Take-Two acquired Codemasters, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down its growth any time soon.

Over the past several days and without warning, Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive has been issuing takedowns to the most popular mods for older GTA games, some of which date as far back as 2005. Grand Theft Auto has been at the forefront of gaming culture and the main target of controversy since its first release back in 1997, ranging from the old accusation of the games being a "murder simulator" to the more recent events surrounding Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar's controversial work ethics and questionable decisions for the series. Despite the controversies, or in part thanks to them, the series is hailed as one of the biggest successes in the industry, and Grand Theft Auto 5 is famously the second best-selling game of all time.

Independent research firm MoffettNathanson has weighed in on the stock prospects of Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive. These are three of the biggest game publishers in the world, and the recent GameStop stock intrigue has experienced and amateur investors alike taking a closer look at the valuation and futures of the companies that define AAA gaming in 2021.

Reverse-engineered fan versions of Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City, known as re3 and reVC, are fully back online following a Digital Millennium Copyright Act () counterclaim by the projects' creators. The retrofitted Grand Theft Auto games were taken down in February, a result of a complaint by Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive, which alleged copyright infringement.

Owner Take-Two reveals Grand Theft Auto V has sold over 145 million copies to date, which s for approximately 42 percent of all GTA series sales. The 145 million units figure on its own is already massively impressive and something few game franchises have achieved in sum, but that's still only approaching half of total franchise sales.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently spoke about the controversial launch of Cyberpunk 2077. The successful CEO noted how important it is for games to aim for the highest level of polish and to not rush something out the door.

Take-Two Interactive got some unexpected competition in its bid to purchase Codemasters (best known for racing games like F1 2020 and Dirt 5), as development and publishing giant Electronic Arts gatecrashed the presumably done deal by putting in a higher bid for the company and winning. Take-Two and Codemasters had already reached an agreement last month, which was set to be officially completed by the first quarter of 2021. It's currently unclear what Take-Two's or Codemasters' next move will be in response.

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick imagines an incredibly bright future for gaming technology, which could evolve to showcase photorealistic visuals in the next decade or so, he says. In the last several years, countless games have brought the industry one step closer to such an ambitious goal, thanks to the efforts in trying to reflect realism in animated worlds.

Update (Nov 10, 2020): Take-Two Interactive has acquired Codemasters and the transaction will be officially completed in the first quarter of 2021. The rationale given in the official press release is to expand Take-Two's portfolio and take advantage of its marketing and distribution arms to enhance Codemasters' potential while increasing share value for everyone involved.