Summary
The long wait for the release ofGrand Theft Auto 6is nearing its final stages, with the title receiving a 2025 release window alongside the first official trailer for the game. The upcoming project’s portrayal of Vice City across its single-player story and online modes is already expected to take the gaming industry by storm, with many assuming the new game will replicate the huge commercial success of its 2013 predecessor.
Leaks and rumors have existed aroundGrand Theft Auto 6for years at this point, with most aiming to shed light on the core gameplay or the characters of the title, but a more recent, popular rumor supposedly gives insight into a major marketing deal thatGrand Theft Auto 6is going to make with Sony and the PlayStation platform. This deal will reportedly give Sony and PlayStation priority with the major marketing surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6as it draws closer to release, with the game potentially being a massive element of Sony’s marketing strategy for the next steps of PlayStation hardware.
Sony’s Rumored Marketing Deal with Grand Theft Auto 6 Could Be Just What PlayStation Needs
Marketing priority or even exclusivity withGrand Theft Auto 6is one of the most potentially lucrative deals that currently exists within the gaming industry, with the upcoming title being one of the most anticipated releases in the history of the medium. With 2013’sGrand Theft Auto 5being the most profitable single piece of media of all time, it is clear to see why so many are predicting its upcoming successor to enjoy similar financials and longevity.
The launch of a game as anticipated as this is usually a large driver of fresh customers to gaming hardware, especially consoles, with Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation platforms being the two major contenders for any marketing deals withGrand Theft Auto 6. While platform exclusivity is out of the question fora game as ambitious asGTA 6, a smart marketing deal could bring huge success to the right company, and rumors suggest that Sony has beaten Microsoft to the punch in this regard.
According to rumors, Sony has signed a deal with Rockstar to ensure thatGTA 6is marketed exclusively alongside PlayStation products, specifically the PlayStation 5 and the upcoming PS5 Pro. The PS5 Pro is a new Sony console that is still aiming for a 2024 release window, coming with improved performance capabilities over the standard PS5 model, andGTA 6could be the perfect game to show off the technological advancements of the new model.
A GTA 6 Marketing Deal Could Be Sony’s Answer to Microsoft’s Recent Moves
This rumored marketing deal may even see PS5 Pro consoles eventually bundled with copies ofGrand Theft Auto 6, being the perfect incentive for new players or fans that finally want to make the jump to more powerful hardware. While these rumors are currently unconfirmed, it does seem to be the perfect time for Sony to make this kind of bold deal, especially withthe gains that Xbox has been making in recent months.
Of course, Microsoft has been busy strengthening its own market presence with high-profile studio acquisitions, setting a new financial record with its$69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in October 2023. Not only has this allowed Microsoft to start offeringCoDtitles via Xbox Game Pass, as seen with the upcomingBlack Ops 6, but it also saw the end of PlayStation’s longstanding marketing and content deal with theCoDfranchise, which predictably shifted over to Xbox instead. Sony surely wants to respond to these massive Microsoft moves somehow, and the rumored marketing exclusivity deal betweenGTA 6and PlayStation might just be the perfect reply with the PS5 Pro on the horizon.
