No, Epic Games does not own GTA
As a hardcore gamer and industry expert, I need to clearly state that Epic Games does not own Grand Theft Auto (GTA), one of the best-selling video game franchises ever created.
The Origins: Rockstar Games and Take-Two Built a Blockbuster
GTA is published by Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive founded in 1998. After acquiring developer DMA Design, Rockstar‘s founders Sam and Dan Houser led the creation of the first Grand Theft Auto game.
Ever since the top-down 2D universe of the original GTA, Rockstar has pushed the envelope of open world gameplay and narrative ambition. When GTA III launched in 2001 and popularized the 3D action-adventure format, it was clear they had a legendary franchise on their hands.
Fast forward to today: The GTA series has sold over 380 million copies worldwide across 24 title releases. The fifth core numbered entry, GTA V, is the most financially successful media title ever with over $6 billion in revenue.
So Rockstar and parent company Take-Two hold full ownership rights over this massively valuable property. How does indie developer Epic Games fit into the equation?
Epic‘s Storefront Strategy Brings GTA to New Platforms
Epic Games is best known as the creators of Unreal Engine technology and their viral battle royale game Fortnite. While much smaller than Take-Two, Epic operates a strong PC games storefront.
They turned heads in 2019 by negotiating for exclusive rights to host Rockstar‘s PC ports of Red Dead Redemption 2 at launch. Epic likely paid a large sum for this privilege.
The next year, Epic scored another Rockstar partnership – offering Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition for free for one week on their store.Even 8 years after launch, GTA V remains immensely popular especially through its ever-updating GTA Online multiplayer mode.
| GTA V Epic Games Store Promotion Performance | |
| Free Downloads Claimed | Over 7.8 million |
| Peak Concurrent Players | All-time record of 223,000+ |
| Increase in Epic Games Store Users | 50% growth to 61 million accounts |
This giveaway drastically boosted awareness of Epic‘s storefront. Offering the most wished-for game in PC gaming history for free was an epic move.
Clearly Epic is leveraging partnerships with top publishers like Rockstar to better compete with rival Steam‘s market dominance. But they still don‘t actually own GTA.
What Does the Future Hold for GTA and Epic Games?
Could Epic Games potentially acquire GTA or Rockstar Games itself? Based on size alone, no way. Take-Two Interactive has a market cap of $12.4 billion while Epic is private with external valuations of only around $15 billion.
More realistically, I expect Epic to continue striking timed-exclusive deals for Rockstar‘s biggest releases. Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA V, and even rumored sequels could launch first on the Epic Games Store rather than Steam.
For example, leaked details suggest GTA VI may arrive as a timed exclusive on Epic and console platforms first. As a major Unreal Engine licensee, Rockstar enjoys an excellent business rapport with Epic Games.
As a lifelong gamer, further competition and choice in the PC marketplace exites me. I look forward to seeing how the Epic Games Store evolves and hopefully hosts exciting Rockstar titles on day one in the future!
But to reiterate my original thesis: no, Epic does not actually hold ownership over Rockstar IP like Grand Theft Auto… yet 😉
