Take-Twos Strauss Zelnick benekter at Red Dead Online var en «tapt mulighet» etter suksessen med GTA Online.

Without a doubt, GTA Online has been a massive success for Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive; many years after its original 2013 release, it continues to attract millions of players and deliver impressive financial results.

While official figures remain unknown, a hacker leak from the ShinyHunters group indicates that GTA Online generated over $1.3 million per week, representing the approximate average for the period between September 2025 and April 2026. Interestingly, R ockstar Games will continue to support the multiplayer mode after the release of GTA 6 - this was recently confirmed by the head of Take-Two Interactive, Strauss Zelnick.

Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive clearly anticipated that Red Dead Online, the multiplayer mode for Red Dead Redemption 2, would, if not surpass GTA Online, at least achieve comparable success. Unfortunately, this did not materialize. The Blood Money update marked the final major update for the title, and over the years, Red Dead Online failed to capture significant mainstream player engagement. This trend has also severely impacted its financial performance. According to the aforementioned ShinyHunters leak, Red Dead Online generates an average weekly revenue of just over $500,000, whereas GTA Online accounts for nearly $9.6 million.

Nevertheless, in a new interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that he does not consider Red Dead Online a failed project, as Red Dead Redemption 2 is still selling very well and attracting new players. The highlights from his interview you can check out below:

“So let me be clear. There is literally nothing about Red Dead selling 85 million units that could signal a missed opportunity. And Red Dead Online has been immensely successful and long lasting.

I think if we didn't have Grand Theft Auto here at our company, then people would just talk about the fact that we have this massive franchise in Red Dead, which we do and of which we're very proud. I actually personally think Red Dead is just amazing and I love engaging with it. And I think the reason it continues to sell is that it's just spectacular entertainment. It's beautiful and it feels very up to date despite the fact that it's not a new title.”

Red Dead Online servers are still running on all platforms, and the game still has its audience—but a comparison to the success of GTA Online is not appropriate here. It will be interesting to see what the multiplayer mode in GTA 6 will be like, and especially if it can surpass the success of its predecessor.

What do you think about Red Dead Online? Do you agree that the multiplayer mode has become a disappointment for Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive? Share your thoughts in the comments below!