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It’s been almost 12 years since the release of Grand Theft Auto V, and we’re still playing the game. If you look at YouTube and Twitch, you’ll see that the game is just as popular as ever. To put things in perspective, people were still using Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 when the game came out. Since then, consoles have become more advanced, and video games have evolved. Yet GTA 5 remains.

Speaking to a crowd at Nostalgia Con Houston 2024, the cast of GTA 5 talked about the game’s surprising longevity. “I don’t think any of us had the idea that it would last this long,” Steven Ogg said.

“I figured it would probably be about 20 years,” Ned Luke joked.

“I knew it would, but I didn’t think that the game would still be as relevant as it is right now, because there’s not another GTA out right now. I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Shawn Fonteno said. “Once we realized it was Grand Theft Auto 5, there was no question it was going to have long legs. I don’t know if we knew that it was going to be this long legs,” Luke said.

However, the cast noted that there was precedent.

“I come from being a voice on San Andreas, and that game is still…like twentysomething years later,” Fonteno said.  “I can tell you this, I just livestreamed GTA 4 on my YouTube channel and stuff, and I had a huge following for it. There’s a lot of nostalgia involved with these games as well,” Luke said.

The cast then polled the crowd, asking if GTA 5 would still be popular after GTA 6 (finally) comes out. The crowd enthusiastically cheered, indicating that GTA 5 has a long life ahead of it.

Maybe that’s why GTA 6 is taking so long. When a game like GTA 5 has this much popularity, it sets the bar high. Who knows, maybe we’ll still be playing GTA 5, even after the series has reached GTA 8. That’s the power of a good game.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
• Gamify My Life, our weekly gaming column designed
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• How to play every GTA game in order
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