Even with the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI looming on the horizon, its predecessor refuses to fade into obscurity. According to a 2025 streaming report by analytics firm Stream Hatchet, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) was the second most watched game across all live streaming platforms last year, reaffirming its status as a cultural phenomenon more than a decade after its initial release.
The Numbers Game
In 2025, GTA V accumulated over 1.9 billion hours of watch time across platforms like Twitch and YouTube. While this figure represents a slight 5% dip compared to 2024, it is a staggering achievement for a title of its age. The drop is largely attributed to the previous year's massive 21.3% growth spike and the shifting attention toward the upcoming GTA VI, expected to launch in late 2025.
The top spot for the year was reclaimed by League of Legends (LoL), which saw a 4% increase in viewership to reach 1.95 billion hours. However, the competition remains fierce at the top; LoL’s 2025 performance, while enough to secure first place, still fell short of the 2 billion hours GTA V achieved in 2024. Both titans sit comfortably ahead of the rest of the pack, with third-place Counter-Strike 2 trailing significantly at 1.28 billion hours.
Dominating the Genre
GTA V’s influence on the Action/Adventure genre is nothing short of monopolistic. The genre as a whole recorded 3.8 billion hours watched in 2025, meaning GTA V alone was responsible for 50% of all viewership in this category.
Much of this longevity is fueled by the vibrant role-playing (RP) community, which continues to thrive primarily on Twitch. Interestingly, the streaming landscape itself saw shifts in 2025, with Twitch losing 8.3% of its market share while competitor Kick gained 6.7%. Despite these platform wars, overall live streaming consumption grew by 6% year-over-year.
A Split Future?
The release of GTA VI in late 2025 presents an interesting dilemma for the franchise's viewership stats. Analysts predict a fragmentation of the audience, with many players and viewers sticking to the established RP servers of GTA V while others migrate to the new title. Because GTA VI is slated for a November release, it will have little time to impact the 2025 charts significantly, especially since the initial hype will likely drive players to play the game rather than watch streams.
Active Player Base
Beyond viewership, the game’s player base remains robust. Data from Ampere Analysis reveals that in May 2025 alone, over 19 million people played GTA V or GTA Online on Xbox and PlayStation consoles (excluding PC). This made it the third most played title by monthly active users for that month, dwarfing other Rockstar hits like Red Dead Redemption 2, which had 4 million active players in the same period.
As 2025 proves, GTA V is not just a game; it is a persistent digital platform that continues to command the attention of millions, even as the next chapter of the saga prepares to begin.
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