The big Grand Theft Auto 6 extended look (mostly) went off without a hitch, and apparently, it was Rockstar Games’ idea to bring it to Netflix in the first place, not the other way around.
Amidst the unprecedented amount of hype for GTA 6, there was a fair amount of confusion from fans, who questioned Rockstar’s decision to make its gameplay debut a Netflix exclusive for six hours after its premiere yesterday. This first real look at Jason and Lucia’s story definitely managed to wow viewers, but even after 27 minutes of Vice City, the question remained: Why Netflix?
Many assumed it to be a high-value deal cooked up by the streaming giant to pull eyes its way, but apparently, that’s not the case. A Rockstar PR representative told Kinda Funny Games ahead of the big reveal that it was actually the GTA 6 developer’s idea to stream the extended look on Netflix. The quote is: “We wanted to go to Netflix.”
It’s a response that may generate more questions than answers. Rockstar first raised eyebrows when it confirmed plans to bring GTA 6: Extended Look exclusively to Netflix earlier this month, promising what eventually turned out to be a lengthy version of a long-awaited third trailer – but only for subscribers. Even with the knowledge that the full presentation would eventually drop on YouTube just a few hours later, fans who have been waiting 13 years for the next Grand Theft Auto were annoyed to hear they’d have to wait even longer if they didn’t want to fork over the cash.
“This is unbelievably scummy,” said one fan on X at the time. “Everyone is excited for the extended look of GTA 6, but it’s premiering on Netflix first, which will influence people to get a subscription. This needs to be called out, because if any other studio, such as Bethesda, did this, they would be crucified.”
Still, some were willing to be patient and see if there might be something more to Rockstar’s grand plan. At least some of the hesitation then turned to excitement after Strauss Zelnick, CEO of parent company Take-Two Interactive, promised that the extended look would be worth the price for early admission.
He went as far as to say that the plan was “an example of Rockstar trying new things” as marketing for GTA 6 truly kicked off. He also told Bloomberg, “I think when the title is launched on Netflix, if you watch it, you’ll understand more.”
“If you’re not a Netflix subscriber, you definitely should be one,” he told IGN at the time. “And as for the trailer itself, it’s coming soon enough that I’ll let you arrive at your own conclusion.”
Well, the trailer is here, and while it certainly managed to impress, it’s still not clear why Rockstar felt the need to bring GTA 6: Extended Look to Netflix, specifically. That said, there are still months to go before launch arrives. Nothing about the developer’s future marketing plans has been revealed yet, so it’s possible we could see other entries or even episodes added to Extended Look in the future.
For now, though, all we know is that Rockstar has its reasons. IGN got an early peak at all things GTA 6 ahead of yesterday’s gameplay reveal and walked away just about as impressed as everyone else. You can check out our thoughts in our preview, and then be sure to see what we had to ask the developer in our interview. You can also check out 69 details we learned while visiting Rockstar HQ, the GTA Online character who’s making a comeback, and the Red Dead Redemption 2 Easter Egg hidden in the extended look.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).