GTA 5 was Europe's second-most-downloaded PS5 title in March, thanks to next-gen release

GTA 5 has become the second most downloaded PlayStation 5 game in Europe and the fourth most downloaded game in the US and Canada. In the United Kingdom, it was downloaded more than Elder Ring, the hugely popular new game from the Soulsborne franchise.

This data is from the end of March, and the sales figures refer to the latest re-release of the game on the next-gen consoles. However, the re-release wasn't the only version that saw this success. In March, GTA 5 was also the sixth most downloaded PlayStation 4 game in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

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GTA 5 manages to maintain its PlayStation 5 market share in Europe

Grand Theft Auto 5 was re-released as a new and enhanced edition for next-gen consoles — the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This exclusive and upgraded version of Grand Theft Auto 5 was initially advertised as the Expanded and Enhanced Edition.

However, Rockstar soon dropped the term, and since then, players have simply been calling it the next-gen edition. It features several exclusive features like a new auto shop called Hao's Special Works and new vehicles to modify in the shop.

Despite the skepticism of fans and the initial hostility towards this edition when the trailer dropped, Rockstar managed to pull this off. The game ranked in the top three spots in the United Kingdom and Europe, while in the United States and Canada, it was ranked in the top ten.

Meanwhile, in the United States and Canada, Red Dead Redemption 2 was the 14th most downloaded PS4 game. However, it did not even enter the top 20 in Europe.

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How much does Rockstar keep earning from the game?

Rockstar also launched a new subscription service called GTA+ following the re-release. This was also met with skepticism and hostility, and it's not currently known how profitable this venture will be. However, Rockstar and Take-Two still earn a lot from GTA 5.

Grand Theft Auto 5 manages to earn around $1 billion in revenue every year. The game has raked in nearly $6 billion since its release in 2013. Much of this is primarily due to Grand Theft Auto Online, where Shark Card purchases alone bring in around $800 million per year.

The new subscription model also offers excellent discounts on Shark Cards along with bonuses. This could attract many potential new players as several such gamers have started playing the next-gen version. The game's digital revenue accounted for 88 percent of Take-Two Interactive's earnings in the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, the announcement of GTA 6 has also sparked a newfound interest in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. One can only speculate on how much revenue the next game will bring to Rockstar and Take-Two.