Even in the highly anticipated “GTA 6 release year,” Rockstar’s veteran titles continue to prove they’re far from retirement. Fresh sales, download, and player-count data for January and February 2026 show both Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 kicking off the year with massive momentum — just as they have for over a decade.
GTA V Still the King of Player Engagement
According to Ampere Analysis (via The Game Business), GTA V ranked as the second most-played game across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation in January, measured by monthly active users. An impressive 21.2 million players jumped into Los Santos and Blaine County last month — only 1.75 million fewer than the holiday-fueled December peak.
That puts the 12-year-old title ahead of heavy hitters like CS2, Roblox, Call of Duty, EA FC 26, and Minecraft. The only game that outpaced it? Free-to-play juggernaut Fortnite. In pure U.S. revenue terms (via Circana), GTA V landed at No. 7 for January, while Red Dead Redemption 2 sat right behind it at No. 8.
Analysts noted the January numbers were exactly what the industry has come to expect from Rockstar’s evergreen hit. As The Game Business put it, “performance is largely what the game always does in January.”
PlayStation Store Charts Confirm the Takeover
Sony’s official monthly download charts paint an even clearer picture of Rockstar’s ongoing dominance:
PS5 Charts
January: GTA V ranked 2nd in the U.S./Canada and 3rd in Europe — actually climbing spots from December despite the big A Safehouse in the Hills update dropping during the holidays.
February: It slipped slightly to 6th (U.S./Canada) and 4th (Europe), but still outperformed most new releases.
PS4 Charts The story gets even more impressive on last-gen hardware. GTA V held steady in the top 10 early in the year before a modest drop in February.
But Red Dead Redemption 2? It’s been untouchable. The open-world Western has been the most-downloaded PS4 game in both the U.S./Canada and Europe every single month since last summer. That kind of longevity on eight-year-old hardware is almost unheard of in modern gaming.
(Note: PlayStation’s February chart curiously listed Red Dead Redemption 2 again in the top 20 for PS4 — analysts believe this is likely a typo referring to the recent Red Dead Redemption re-release on PS5, which offers a free upgrade path.)
GTA 6 Hype Machine Keeps Rolling
Even with zero new trailers, screenshots, or official updates, Grand Theft Auto VI still dominated headlines. Media tracker Level Up reported over 5,000 articles written about the game in January alone — making it the second-most-discussed title of the month behind only ARC Raiders. The hype train shows no signs of slowing down as fans count down to Rockstar’s next blockbuster.
What It All Means
These numbers are more than just impressive stats — they’re a testament to Rockstar Games’ unmatched ability to keep decade-old titles feeling fresh and relevant. Whether it’s through consistent updates like A Safehouse in the Hills, rock-solid online modes, or simply unmatched world-building, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 continue to outperform brand-new releases from other publishers.
As we head deeper into 2026 — the year many expect GTA VI to finally arrive — Rockstar’s current lineup isn’t just surviving; it’s thriving. The message to the industry is loud and clear: when you build worlds this good, players never really leave.
Stay tuned to RockstarINTEL for every update on GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and the inevitable GTA VI news when it finally drops. 2026 is already proving that Rockstar’s legacy isn’t just alive — it’s leading the charts.
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