With the highly anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI set for November 2026, many in the industry are bracing for a massive shift in player attention. However, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani suggests that the current release strategy for Rockstar Games’ latest title provides a unique opening for existing live-service games like Helldivers 2 to continue their momentum.
Quick Facts
- GTA 6 Launch Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (PC version not available at launch).
- GTA 6 Online Status: No online mode at launch; the title is single-player only.
- Helldivers 2 Availability: Currently available on PC and PlayStation 5.
Jorjani noted in a recent interview that Helldivers 2, which remains popular on Steam more than two years after its 2024 release, stands to benefit from the specific release roadmap Rockstar has chosen. Because GTA 6 is skipping a PC release and launching without an online component, Jorjani believes the market for established co-op games will remain resilient.
"On a selfish level I'm happy it’s not hitting PC right away, and that online isn’t dropping at launch," Jorjani said. "It means Helldivers 2 gets to keep crushing it in our own space, and is also why it won’t be the all-consuming behemoth everyone’s worried about."
While industry analysts often view major Rockstar releases as market-dominating events, Jorjani emphasized that Rockstar’s "old-school" approach—taking time to deliver a polished, single-player core experience—gives other developers the confidence to continue their own strategies rather than pivoting based on competitor launch dates.