Grand Theft Auto 3’s launch in 2001 cemented the PlayStation 2 as the must-own console of the early 2000s. But did you know that behind the explosive success of Rockstar Games’ open-world crime saga was a quiet corporate chess match that almost completely went a different way?

In the late 1990s, Sony’s PlayStation brand dominated the gaming landscape. The original PlayStation had proven that gaming wasn’t just for kids anymore, and the PS2 looked poised to continue that momentum.

But just as Sony began to celebrate its early lead, a new challenger appeared on the horizon: Microsoft’s Xbox. Backed by one of the richest companies in the world, the Xbox promised powerful hardware, massive budgets, and serious competition.

Sony knew it needed something that would make its console indispensable, which is where Grand Theft Auto came in.

At the time, GTA was far from a household name. The first two GTA titles were respectable outings, but they were more quirky top-down experiments and less global phenomena. But Rockstar had bigger ambitions for GTA 3: a fully 3D city, living traffic, radio stations, and, at the time, unprecedented freedom.

The game’s potential was obvious to anyone who saw it in action. Anyone, that is, except Microsoft.

As reported by IGN, Rockstar had approached Microsoft to discuss making GTA III exclusive to the upcoming Xbox. The pitch was rejected. The team at Microsoft reportedly didn’t grasp why players would want to run amok in an open world rather than follow a traditional mission-based structure. Sony, however, understood exactly what Rockstar was creating, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Sony’s offer? Make GTA 3 exclusive to the PS2 for a limited time, as well as its sequels. In return,  Rockstar would receive a substantial upfront payment, marketing support, and a discount on disc manufacturing costs.

This masterstroke of a deal proved itself immediately, not long after GTA 3 launched in October 2001, just weeks ahead of the Xbox’s debut.  Within months, the game became a bestseller, mesmerizing players with the freedom and chaos of Liberty City. The sequels, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, were even more successful.

It’s safe to say that Sony’s gamble paid off beyond expectations. The PS2 went on to sell over 155 million units worldwide, becoming the best-selling console in history. And while GTA III eventually arrived on other platforms, the early exclusivity was enough to establish PlayStation as THE home of gaming’s most talked-about franchise, a reputation that remains to this very day, with Grand Theft Auto V topping historical PlayStation sales charts.

With Grand Theft Auto 6 reportedly being made with the PlayStation 5 Pro in mind (the second trailer was captured on a base PlayStation 5, by the way), we could see a rerun of the early 2000s with the PS5 and its eventual successor, further burying its competition, namely Xbox, in terms of sales and recognition.

Speaking of GTA 3 and the PS2, did you know that the game was also being considered for the Sega Dreamcast? This was confirmed by former Rockstar North lead developer, Obbe Vermeij. The game is currently available to play on the Sega Dreamcast thanks to this modder.