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- Hollow Knight Silksong crashed storefronts and shattered all expectations on release this week.
- GTA 6 will likely have a similar effect on the industry, albeit at a much larger scale.
- The game will impact the entire entertainment landscape in a way never seen before.
At this point last year, the industry was patiently awaiting more word on GTA 6. Many had already braced themselves to see the gaming landscape changing as they knew it, but things took an interesting turn a few months ago.
Until recently, GTA 6 becoming 2025’s biggest release was all but certain. No game would even dare to cross paths with the behemoth that GTA 6 was shaping up to be, but the industry got a lucky break when Rockstar decided to delay the launch to 2026.
However, as the industry has shown time and again, gaming is never short on surprises. Just as Palworld and Black Myth Wukong turned heads last year, the sequel to indie hit Hollow Knight has reminded the industry how influential a single release can be. Hollow Knight Silksong’s launch has been so massive, in fact, that I’m only now beginning to come to terms with how big GTA 6 will be.
Why it matters: Rockstar has always delivered with its biggest IPs, but the latest GTA title is shaping up to be something truly special.
The Silksong Effect
Needless to say, Hollow Knight Silksong has not had the biggest marketing campaign. Following an exciting trailer a few years back, the game all but disappeared from the industry, leaving no traces behind.
It was only recently that marketing kicked off again, and a September release date was confirmed. With hardly any word of mouth among mainstream audiences and next to no build-up, the game still managed to shatter expectations completely.
Hollow Knight Silksong somehow froze all major gaming storefronts at the same time, something the likes of Black Myth Wukong and Palworld couldn’t even cause. Platforms like Steam and PlayStation were completely broken for well over an hour when the title was first released, something rarely seen across the industry.
GTA 6 Will Be Even Bigger
I don’t think it needs to be said, but GTA 6 will probably make Hollow Knight Silksong’s numbers look like peanuts in comparison. However, I also think this release should be a reality check for everyone in the industry.
Analysts can throw out all sorts of numbers regarding GTA 6’s day-one sales, but the reality is that nobody can truly gauge how much of a difference the game will actually make. In addition to millions of sales and record-breaking concurrent players across consoles, I fully expect to see stores selling thousands of consoles during the release month.
In essence, GTA 6 will serve as a much-needed rebirth for the industry. Although the times of gamers lining up outside GameStop and other outlets for midnight releases are long gone, I’m confident that same energy and nostalgic feeling will emanate across the industry once GTA 6 arrives.
From busy thirty-year-olds involved in the corporate world to energetic college students who once begged their parents to buy them GTA 5, practically everyone will come together to experience GTA 6 for the first time next year.
As it stands, the industry is heading toward a converging point with GTA 6 at the center. I would even go as far as to say that everything that has happened this generation has been building toward this upcoming moment.
The Big Numbers
Because GTA 6 won’t launch on Steam, it won’t be easy to estimate sales figures for the average person. However, this is one IP that doesn’t really need SteamDB to make its presence known.
As a reminder, GTA has been the only major franchise to not only challenge but also defeat Call of Duty’s sales revenue in a particular year. Just to put things into perspective, GTA 5 made around $800 million on launch day, roughly translating to 13 million copies sold.
Between gaming’s exponential growth since 2013 and GTA’s continued popularity, GTA 6 will shift the entertainment landscape as we know it.
Knowing all of this, I fully expect to be blown away by the game next year. There’s a major difference between analyzing and discussing numbers and then seeing things play out in motion.
Also, history has shown that GTA typically exceeds expectations, so I believe nobody, not even the most experienced analysts and veterans, is really ready for what is to come for the entertainment industry next year.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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