Helldivers Studio CEO Praises GTA 6's Console-Only Launch Strategy

The CEO of Helldivers studio Arrowhead Game Studios has offered his perspective on Grand Theft Auto 6's upcoming launch strategy, expressing approval that the highly anticipated title will debut exclusively on consoles without an online mode at launch.

In comments to press, Arrowhead CEO Sham Jorjani said Rockstar makes "ridiculous, high-effort stuff, and it's awesome that games like this get made." He explained his selfishly happy stance stems from believing the console-only launch will give his own Helldivers 2 title space to continue performing well in the market.

"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," Jorjani said.

Rockstar has confirmed GTA 6 will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, though the developer has not announced any plans for a PC edition. The company has stated GTA 6 is a "single-player experience," though it has not explicitly confirmed whether an online mode will be absent at launch. It's expected Rockstar will evolve GTA Online in some form for GTA 6, but details remain unknown. Notably, GTA 5 also launched without an online mode before later adding the feature and eventually coming to PC.

Jorjani praised Rockstar's approach, noting the publisher has "the brand power to confidently take their time and run their classic play" rather than chasing trends. "They have the confidence and freedom to spend a decade doing things the old-school way because they know the core game will deliver. It's going to raise the bar for sure," he said.

GTA 6 is scheduled to launch November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game recently received an "Extended Look" presentation that aired on Netflix on August 27. The title has previously suffered significant gameplay leaks, which Rockstar described as "heartbreaking" for developers.