The Excitement Behind Rockstar’s Decade-Long Build-Up to GTA V

Grand Theft Auto V burst onto the scene over a decade ago, launching on Xbox 360 and PS3 in September 2013. Now, the long-awaited sequel, Grand Theft Auto 6, is set to drop this November, with promises of a marketing blitz kicking off this summer.

While we eagerly anticipate the new installment and hope for no further delays, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the entire marketing journey of GTA V, from its initial announcement to its release.

The official reveal of GTA V came on October 25, 2011, with a simple tweet that read “#GTAV.” Fans were ecstatic, especially since the last main entry, GTA IV, had launched back in 2008. Can you imagine waiting nearly four years for a sequel?

Just a week later, on November 2, Rockstar unveiled the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto V. It featured narration from one of the main characters, Michael, and showcased stunning visuals of Los Santos and its surroundings. Young Zack watched that trailer on repeat. Unfortunately, it ended without a release date, leading to a frustrating silence from Rockstar. Some things never change…

In July 2012, Rockstar broke the silence with a post on their newswire, sharing two new screenshots of GTA V. While these didn’t feature any main characters, they still got fans buzzing with excitement.

August 2012 saw Rockstar tease fans further with ten additional screenshots released across three posts. They hinted that more content was on the way, but fans would have to hang tight a little longer.

Originally, Rockstar planned to drop a second trailer for GTA V on November 2. However, Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, where Rockstar’s headquarters is located, causing a power outage. The trailer eventually launched on November 14, featuring the fantastic track “Skeletons” by Stevie Wonder, a song forever linked to that trailer in my mind.

By October, a year after the initial announcement, Rockstar confirmed a leaked release date of “Spring 2013.” In November, pre-orders for GTA V opened up. Before the year wrapped up, a major outlet ran an extensive cover story detailing a hands-off demo and revealing more about the game.

The new year kicked off with disappointing news. On January 31, Rockstar announced that GTA V’s release was pushed from Spring 2013 to September 17, 2013.

“To all Grand Theft Auto fans, we apologize for the delay and assure you that our team is working tirelessly to make the game the best it can be. We appreciate your support and patience,” Rockstar stated at the time.

A few months later, in April, Rockstar revealed the game’s official cover through a mural on a New York City building. Later that month, they released not one, not two, but three trailers, each focusing on one of the three playable protagonists. Younger Zack was absolutely thrilled that day. After this, Rockstar went quiet again, but it was the calm before the storm of marketing that was about to hit.

On July 9, Rockstar finally showcased actual gameplay in a gameplay overview trailer. This was the first time many had seen the game in action, and it was mind-blowing. Even now, years later, the original version of GTA V and GTA Online still look impressive.

In July, a viral marketing campaign kicked off, utilizing an old GTA San Andreas-era website that poked fun at Scientology and cults. This led players to a fake Twitter account for the Epsilon Cult, culminating in an audition process for a chance to be included in the game. Five lucky individuals were digitally added to GTA V.

From August 13 to September 13, Rockstar began posting blogs on their website, revealing even more about GTA V’s world and characters, along with new screenshots. The floodgates had truly opened.

On August 15, Rockstar released a gameplay overview that gave us our first glimpse of GTA Online. Looking back, it’s clear they had no idea how much this game would evolve over the next decade. It seems so simple now.

Finally, on August 29, 2013, just over two weeks before GTA V launched on Xbox and PlayStation, Rockstar dropped the final pre-release trailer. This shorter trailer would later serve as the game’s launch commercial, and if you were watching cable back in 2013, you probably saw it countless times.

And that wraps up the marketing timeline for GTA V. The game would go on to be ported to numerous platforms, receive additional trailers, and give rise to GTA Online, one of the most successful live-service games ever. All of this began with a single tweet in 2011.