5 reasons why GTA 5 has been Rockstar Games’ most profitable title to date

GTA 5 is, unsurprisingly, Rockstar Games' most profitable title to date.

Most of these reasons should be self-intuitive as to why GTA 5 is the most successful title from a financial standpoint. It's been the de facto GTA title for far longer than any other GTA game in history, and it's still going strong nearly eight years later. That said, Rockstar Games does have some valid reasons as to why they continue to coast off of GTA 5's legacy.

GTA 5 is a legitimately good game. It might not be everybody's cup of tea, but it has been well-received by the vast majority of gamers who've tried it. Whether they're a critic or just a fan, chances are, they'll consider GTA 5 to be one of Rockstar Games' best video games, ever.

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Five reasons why GTA 5 has been Rockstar Games’ most profitable title to date

#5 - It's their most recent mainline title

Recent titles tend to get more noticed than older ones (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA 5 has had the fortune of being the most recent GTA game in the series, considering previous games like GTA 4 and GTA San Andreas helped make it more popular internationally. More often than not, a hyped sequel is bound to get some attention from its fans based on the reputation the previous games had.

Aside from that, GTA 5 is the GTA game to buy for new people. It's been the "most recent mainline title" for nearly eight years. If somebody wants to buy the most recent GTA game (with the assumption that it's the best one), then they'll buy GTA 5. Most other GTA titles only last for a quarter to half as long as GTA 5 has thus far.

#4 - It's great value for one's money

GTA 5 is well worth its price (Image via Rockstar Games)

However, GTA 5 isn't just a financial success because it's the most recent title in a legendary video game series. There are plenty of sequels from other video game franchises that have bombed. What makes GTA 5 different is that it's a genuinely good game that players can enjoy for hundreds of hours.

GTA 5 is not just a game somebody picks up for an hour and gets bored because they did all they wanted to do. There is so much to do and so much stuff to discover in GTA 5, that it isn't surprising that the game has had overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

Compared to other GTA games in the series, one could argue that GTA 5 has the most content worth doing. If there is so much to do in a game, chances are, people will buy it more often compared to its contemporaries that have less content.

#3 - GTA 5 was in development for a long time

Franklin & Chop (Image via Rockstar Games)

Part of the reason that GTA 5 is as well-received as it is today is that Rockstar spent a lot of time honing their craft with GTA 5. Other than just being an extremely expensive game to make, GTA 5 was the GTA title under development for the longest period of time (until GTA 6 is released).

This allowed Rockstar Games to limit soul-crushing bugs and perfect the core gameplay for GTA 5. Fans don't necessarily have to like GTA 5, but it would be foolish to say that not much effort was put into the game.

All of the extra time and resources put into GTA 5 has made it the video game juggernaut that fans across the world fondly remember.

#2 - GTA 5 has been ported to several consoles

Naturally, a popular game being ported into several generations of consoles is bound to get more sales. However, GTA 5 being the most relevant GTA title for three generations of consoles makes it even more of a "must-have" title to own.

It isn't just ported to new consoles as is, either. For the PS4 and Xbox One versions, Rockstar made the Enhanced Version of GTA 5 to motivate people to buy it. Considering GTA Online is far, far more different in this version than its predecessor, it's easy to see why so many people would prefer an upgrade.

With the next titles on the most recent consoles being the Enhanced and Expanded Versions, it is likely that GTA 5 will only continue to be Rockstar Games' most successful GTA game.

#1 - GTA Online

The most recent major update in GTA Online (Image via Rockstar Games)

As far as profits go, it is unfortunate that a great deal of it comes from microtransactions. That said, GTA Online is fairly generous compared to other online multiplayer games in terms of what the microtransactions include.

In GTA Online, it's just money (the most important resource in GTA Online). Players don't have to worry about unique vehicles or weapons being locked behind a one-time purchase.

At the same time, though, buying Shark Cards can save a player significant time. It isn't so bad today given the Cayo Perico Heist is easily farmable, but the previous years were less forgiving as far as braindead money-making goes.

Note: This article reflects the writer’s personal views.