Why Gaming's Most Anticipated Sequel Might Not Dethrone Its Own Predecessor on Twitch

We're all twiddling our thumbs waiting for Grand Theft Auto 6 to be released, but here's a surprising prediction that might catch you off guard: GTA V isn't going anywhere on Twitch.

In fact, according to Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, it's going to continue dominating the streaming platform even after its shiny new successor launches in May 2026.

This isn't just corporate speculation, though. GTA V pulled in a remarkable 1.4 billion hours of watch time on Twitch in 2024 alone, making it the most-watched game on the entire platform. To put that in perspective, that's enough collective viewing time to watch every Marvel movie ever made about 2.8 million times over.

What makes GTA V's streaming success so fascinating is that it has little to do with the actual, underlying game that Rockstar Games created. The real magic happens in the roleplay servers, specifically through mods like FiveM, where players transform Los Santos into their personal theater stage.

Unlike traditional competitive games, which require viewers to understand complex mechanics and strategies, GTA roleplay is just fun gaming that anyone can follow. Streamers create elaborate characters with backstories, relationships, and ongoing storylines that unfold in real time.

Clancy describes this phenomenon as improvisational performance art, suggesting that theater schools could genuinely benefit from studying how these digital performers craft their characters and narratives. In short, these are live entertainers who happen to be using a video game as their stage.

The interesting thing about_GTA 6_'s launch strategy is that while everyone expects the new game to be a blockbuster, it's launching exclusively on consoles first. This creates a unique problem for the roleplay community that has made_GTA V_such a streaming powerhouse.

All those elaborate roleplay servers, custom mods, and community-created content exist on PC through platforms like FiveM. When_GTA 6_arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, all of that infrastructure will still be tied to the older game.

Based on Rockstar's historical release patterns, PC players might have to wait anywhere from six months to a year and a half before they can even access_GTA 6_, let alone start building the modding ecosystem that makes roleplay possible.

It's more than likely that console players will rush to explore Vice City and experience Rockstar's latest masterpiece, while the streaming community that generates billions of hours of content will likely stick with Los Santos and their established roleplay communities.

The roleplay scene isn't something that can be easily transplanted to a new game overnight. These communities have spent years building relationships, developing ongoing storylines, and creating the kind of emergent drama that keeps audiences coming back day after day. Starting over in a new virtual world means abandoning all of that history and investment.

While_GTA 6_will undoubtedly be a technical masterpiece that pushes gaming forward,_GTA V_has evolved into something entirely different: a digital canvas where performers can paint ongoing narratives that captivate audiences for hours at a time. That's not something you can simply replace with better textures and improved physics.

The prediction that both games will coexist in the streaming space speaks to how the gaming industry has evolved beyond traditional single-player or competitive multiplayer experiences.GTA V has become less of a game and more of a platform, and one that won't be easily displaced, even by its own successor.