GTA V Revenue on Consoles Fell 33% Last Month After Lockdown Surge
Among the various games and online services which saw spikes in revenue during the early COVID-19 lockdowns, few benefitted as much as GTA V. The game saw an enormous spike in player numbers, making it the #1 best-selling game once again, despite being almost seven years old. However, new data shows that last month, GTA V revenue on consoles actually dropped around 33%, bringing that spike to an end.
GTA V Revenue on Consoles Dropped Sharply in June
When COVID-19 lockdowns began to go into effect back in April and May, active-service games and subscription services like Xbox Game Pass all saw a big upturn in player engagement. After all, far more people were stuck at home than normally would be. GTA V was one of the biggest recipients of this, boosting the game’s sales to the top of the best-selling rankings. GTA V has always sold well, and is nearly a permanent fixture in the top 10, but it’s rare for the game to break into the top 3 these days.
However, it now seems that this incredible surge in player engagement did not sustain itself into June. New data gathered by SuperData show that GTA V revenue on consoles (their biggest platform) fell 33%; a sharp drop. It’s telling just how successful the game was in May that despite this decline, it still ranked in the top 5 best-selling console games in June. Nevertheless, it seems that players are moving away from GTA V after returning in huge numbers two months ago.
SuperData cites a “lack of major updates” as the most likely reason for this lack of player retention, and it’s easy to see why. GTA V’s last major update was The Diamond Casino Heist in December of 2019. However, Rockstar may well have realised this issue themselves. Today, the studio released a big update for Red Dead Online, and they have also teased an upcoming Summer Update for GTA V. Moreover, Rockstar recently revealed plans for a second 2020 update for GTA V which will come later in the year and will feature all-new heists.