Rockstar is one of gaming's most critically and financially successful developers, and it shows no signs of slowing down with Grand Theft Auto 6. It evidently knows what it's doing, crafting excellent single-player experiences that are as timeless as they are extremely enjoyable, and engrossing online games that players don't want to put down. However, despite having a history of immensely successful launches, I can't help but feel like even it is a tad confused on how to properly market Grand Theft Auto 6.

It isn't that GTA 6's incredible trailers aren't doing well, as fans flock to them the second they air on YouTube. Rather, it is the way Rockstar is handling the game's marketing that is somewhat confusing. Of course, one can only imagine that the millions of dollars it has likely pumped into GTA 6's marketing will pay off eventually, but I am also a little concerned that Rockstar's confusing strategies and potential hubris could end up hurting it and the game in the long run.

GTA 6's Marketing Is All Over The Place

There's No Hype Or Proper Announcements

Grand Theft Auto 6's marketing strategy feels a tad all over the place in my opinion. After releasing the first trailer on December 4, 2023, Rockstar waited until May 6, 2025, well over a year later, to release the running on low-end hardware, the trailer felt like a cinematic montage, bringing us no closer to understanding what the full GTA 6 experience will be like.

Of course, all of this came after enough GTA 6 hype, and that we don't need more trailers.

The game is due out in just over a year, and in that time Rockstar needs to start ramping up the hype for it by showing off gameplay footage. However, based on its current approach to marketing GTA 6, it feels like we could get to May 26, 2026, and the game will just release with no additional trailers being pushed out beforehand. Of course, that's very hyperbolic, but I've not seen a strategy quite like this for any previous game. I think the reason for that is, rather straightforwardly, no other game is quite like Grand Theft Auto 6.

GTA 6's Marketing Still Works

The Second Trailer Was A Huge Hit

Unfortunately, the real problem with Grand Theft Auto 6's marketing is that it works. GTA 6's best feature could be enough to lure me in. There has been so much buzz around this trailer that it does feel like Rockstar could barely market GTA 6, and it would still sell just as well, if not better than Grand Theft Auto 5.

That is partially because of brand recognition, with GTA Online doing much of the heavy lifting and keeping the series relevant despite the nearly 13-year gap between GTA 5 and 6. However, it is also because Rockstar has become synonymous with huge, blockbuster releases that are as groundbreaking as they are excellent. Red Dead Redemption 2 remains one of the most blisteringly brilliant open-world games ever made, its level of detail and realism in practically every facet of its world design proving to be as immensely impressive today as it was in 2018.

It is great to see such a huge wave of enthusiasm from fans already, but I do fear it could disappear, especially if Rockstar refuses to switch marketing strategies and doesn't start hyping it up soon.

People are ready for the next jaw-droppingly realistic open-world experience that isn't set in medieval Bohemia, and I don't blame them. There is so much excitement around this game that people are already coming up with wild GTA 6 fan theories by piecing together the smallest details from the six or so minutes of footage we've seen so far. It is great to see such a huge wave of enthusiasm from fans already, but I do fear it could disappear, especially if Rockstar refuses to switch marketing strategies and doesn't start hyping it up soon.

GTA 6 Could Crash If Rockstar Doesn't Pivot Strategies

People May Lose Interest After The Delay

Rockstar delaying Grand Theft Auto 6 was definitely a huge blow to fans, one softened only slightly by the confirmed release date and the new trailer that dropped a few days after the announcement. However, fans are already predicting another GTA 6 delay, one that will likely see it pushed back to Fall 2026, which falls in line with when Rockstar typically releases its games. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see it delayed for a second or even third time, especially if the scale it is seemingly promising ends up being true.

Cyberpunk 2077, which prior to launch, promised the same level of ambition and freedom, was delayed three times and released poorly. Rockstar won't want to make the same mistake and will delay it as many times as it needs to be delayed before putting it into players' hands. If that ends up being the case, as it hasn't done a serious marketing push beforehand, players could lose interest and feel disconnected from the game entirely. A lack of meaningful footage or even an indication of how it'll play makes it hard to really connect with it on a practical level.

Currently, GTA 6 feels to me more like an movie than a game. Of course, this is fairly par for the course with Rockstar, with it releasing cinematic trailers prior to gameplay ones for GTA 5. However, unless Rockstar switches marketing tactics, I worry that it could lose a little of the goodwill it has built up based on the brand name alone. Grand Theft Auto 6 will almost certainly thrive even if Rockstar continues along its current trajectory, but I do wonder how long it can sustain itself on the current level of hype alone.