GTA 6 publisher tells players not to review the bomb the game

When it comes to the most highly-anticipated video games of all time, GTA 6 could sit at the top with very few games able to match the hype and anticipation. The most recent entry, GTA 5, was released way back in 2013 on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Since then, it has been released on both subsequent generation platforms and still sees approximately $500 million in revenue per year from GTA Online alone.

Over the past 11 years, it has become the second best-selling game of all time, with over 200 million sales. It is only beaten out by Minecraft which sits at over 300 million. Despite there being so much anticipation for GTA 6, Take-Two Interactive doesn’t appear to be resting on its laurels and is concerned about the possibility of a review bomb campaign by some players.

In a recent SEC filing, obtained by Stephen Totilo, Take-Two Interactive touched on the impact that review bombing can have on a game, including decreased sales and revenue which could lead to loss of players, and marketing budget.

“Obtaining and maintaining high ratings of our games on the third-party platforms on which we operate are important as they help drive players to find our games. If the ratings of any of our games decline or if we receive significant negative reviews that result in a decrease in our ratings, our games could be more difficult for players to find or recommend. In addition, we may be subject to negative review campaigns or defamation campaigns intended to harm our ratings. Any such decline may lead to loss of players and revenues, additional advertising and marketing costs, and reputation harm.”

Although no game is free from the possibility of review bombing, with a recent notable example being Helldivers 2 which fell from grace following the PSN controversy after experiencing a meteoric rise upon release in February, it does seem unusual for this to be a concern considering the high regard the GTA series is held in. It is worth noting that the publisher wasn’t just referring to its upcoming release of GTA 6 but gaming as a whole.

The GTA series has been among the most critically acclaimed games of all time, with GTA 4 currently ranking 3rd on Metacritic with a score of 98%. The most recent entry, GTA 5, occupies 10th place with a score of 97%. GTA 3 also holds 12th place at 97%, and San Andreas and Vice City come in at 36th and 37th respectively both with scores of 95%.

It is difficult to know whether this is Take-Two Interactive looking out for other publishers in the industry, or whether it is expecting GTA 6 to be review-bombed, for a so-far unclear reason. One reason could be if the game tones down its offensive nature then it could be seen as too “woke,” as theorized by Insider Gaming. But, until we have more information, and more importantly, the game on our screens, it is purely speculation.

Unfortunately, since the first trailer dropped in December 2023, Rockstar Games has been keeping tight-lipped when it comes to the highly anticipated GTA 6, which will be the first mainline entry in 12 years by the time it is released in 2025. We do know that the game will take players back to Vice City, a fictionalized version of Miami, Florida, and looks to be keeping up to date with trends, with a large emphasis put on influencers and the rise of apps such as TikTok. The trailer recreates and parodies various viral videos and figures, including the ‘Florida Joker‘ who has been trying to secure financial compensation for having his likeness parodied in the trailer.