Call of Duty and Mario Kart are up there, but Take-Two CEO says Grand Theft Auto is "the most valuable entertainment IP ever created," and while he still won't reveal how much GTA 5 made, "it's a lot"

We are, as of now, just six months out from the launch of GTA 6, which is set to be one of the biggest pop culture releases ever. Naturally, publisher Take-Two takes some pride in that fact, and CEO Strauss Zelnick isn't bashful about the success of the series overall.

In an interview with David Senra, Zelnick touted the overall value of Grand Theft Auto, though without giving too much away. "In terms of the value of the IP, most people believe it's the most valuable entertainment IP ever created," he says. "But people could argue about that."

They certainly could, and he mentions Mario Kart and Call of Duty as being two contenders in video games. This is a hard thing to define, because there are many vectors: copies sold, overall revenue, public recognition, and so on. However, GTA is comfortably in contention, especially given the decade-plus the fifth has spent as a pillar of the industry.

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Speaking of, Zelnick addresses Take-Two's reluctance to say just how much GTA 5's brought in over the years. He still won't put a figure on it, but makes it clear the number's a big one.

"Not the total revenue," he tells the interviewer when the subject's brought up. "It's a lot." I imagine so, since GTA 5 continues to be a best-seller. It was tenth in the best-selling games chart for February 2026. 13 years on and copies are still shifting. That's without going into the 12 years and counting of GTA Online. Rockstar's been doing well on the back of those two, that's for sure.

Now that GTA 6 is due on November 19, a new era beckons. However big this installment will be, it has a tough act to follow. Check back here in 13 years, and I'll let you know if it's held up as well for sales.

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