Why Grand Theft Auto’s Netflix deal is creating controversy

August 11, 2026 — 5:10pm

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

With unprecedented blockbuster Grand Theft Auto VI just three months away, anticipation is building among players who are yet to see a decent representation of what the game actually is. But while publisher Rockstar recently confirmed that an “extended look” was coming on August 28, one detail in particular has caused a stir: the video will premiere on Netflix.

No details have been given on what the presentation will include, or how long it will be, although Rockstar has said the video will be available on YouTube and its own website six hours after the premiere. Still, this is uncharted territory for promoting a video game. Generally, prerelease videos are disseminated as accessibly as possible because the publisher needs to drum up hype. Here, Rockstar is saying its first in-depth look at the game is a product unto itself, worthy of a platform that people pay up to $29 a month for.

And Rockstar is not unjustified in its confidence. Grand Theft Auto V was a massive hit that topped bestseller charts for more than 10 years, and is the biggest entertainment product in history by practically any metric. The 2013 game has sold 230 million copies to date, making more than $14 billion in revenue.

Despite consumer backlash over Rockstar’s decision to launch Grand Theft Auto VI as a $130 digital-only game — with no option to buy it on disc — and its decision to lock certain gameplay........

© WA Today