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In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the gaming world, Rockstar Games has reportedly refused to bow to pressure from the notorious cybercriminal extortion group ShinyHunters. The hackers, known for targeting high-profile companies, responded by dumping sensitive financial data belonging to the studio — including eye-opening metrics from GTA Online. And if you’re a PC gamer waiting eagerly for Grand Theft Auto 6, the numbers paint a sobering picture: console players are so overwhelmingly profitable that Rockstar may have little incentive to prioritize a PC launch anytime soon.
What ShinyHunters Exposed: GTA Online’s Console Dominance
The leaked documents, which began circulating on underground forums before catching the attention of mainstream observers, include detailed weekly active user counts and revenue figures across platforms. Social media account CharlieIntel, a trusted source in the Call of Duty and broader gaming leak community, was among the first to summarize the fiscal revelations.
According to the data, the PlayStation 5 currently leads all platforms with a staggering 3,474,021 weekly active users on GTA Online, generating a whopping $4,486,346 in earnings during that same period. To put that into perspective, the PC platform — despite its massive global install base and a thriving modding community — manages only 894,621 weekly active players and a comparatively modest $264,273 in revenue.
Surprisingly, the data also shows there are more active GTA Online players on the aging Xbox One than on PC. Yes, you read that correctly. The last-generation console continues to outpace desktop and laptop users.
When it comes to per-player spending, consoles again leave PC in the dust. Xbox Series X owners average approximately $1.65 per player, while PS5 users sit at around $1.29. PC gamers? A mere $0.30 on average.
Why Those Numbers Matter for GTA 6
Let’s be clear: GTA 6 will not use the same GTA Online infrastructure that launched back in 2013 alongside Grand Theft Auto V. That aging framework has been stretched, patched, and modded to its limits. Industry insiders and recent rumors strongly suggest that Rockstar is building an entirely new online service — call it GTA 6 Online — designed to support the next generation of heists, businesses, and chaotic sandbox fun.
One recent rumor even hinted that GTA 6 Online could arrive as soon as one month after the game’s planned November 19th launch (assuming no further delays). But here’s the kicker: the franchise’s largest and most loyal following has always been on PlayStation systems. The leaked numbers simply reinforce what analysts have suspected for years — Sony’s ecosystem prints money for Rockstar.
The Missing Piece: FiveM and PC Role-Playing Communities
Before PC players grab their pitchforks, there’s an important caveat. The leaked ShinyHunters data almost certainly does not include activity from popular third-party modding platforms like FiveM. For the uninitiated, FiveM allows PC players to host custom multiplayer servers with heavy modifications, role-playing scenarios, custom game modes, and entire virtual economies that operate outside Rockstar’s official GTA Online ecosystem.
Tens of thousands of PC gamers spend hundreds of hours on FiveM-powered servers like NoPixel, where streamers and content creators have built entire careers around immersive roleplay. These players are not counted in the official metrics leaked by the hackers. Why? Because they’re not connecting to Rockstar’s official matchmaking or transaction servers. They’re playing on privately hosted infrastructure.
So while the official GTA Online numbers on PC look weak on paper, the true size of the PC GTA V multiplayer community is significantly larger. But here’s the rub: Rockstar doesn’t directly monetize those FiveM players. No Shark Card sales, no recurring microtransactions. From a pure revenue-per-user standpoint, those players are invisible — and irrelevant to the bottom line.
When Will GTA 6 Hit Steam?
At this point, Take-Two Interactive — Rockstar’s parent company — has not even officially confirmed that GTA 6 is coming to PC. That might sound absurd given the platform’s global reach, but it’s consistent with Rockstar’s historical behavior. The company treats PC as a secondary, almost afterthought platform.
Let’s revisit history:
- GTA V launched on Xbox 360 and PS3 in September 2013. The PC version didn’t arrive until April 2015 — a gap of roughly 19 months.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 hit consoles in October 2018. PC players waited over a full year until November 2019.
- Even the long-rumored GTA V next-gen enhancements arrived on PS5 and Xbox Series X months before PC saw any equivalent upgrades.
Given this track record, what can we expect for GTA 6? A known leaker who goes by the handle DetectiveSeeds — whose track record is admittedly hit-or-miss — has suggested that the GTA 6 PC version could be ready by February 2027. That’s roughly 14 months after the expected console launch in late 2025. Whether that prediction holds water is anyone’s guess, but it aligns with the company’s established pattern.
Take-Two’s Mixed Signals: Zelnick Acknowledges PC Growth
Here’s where things get interesting. Despite all evidence suggesting Rockstar remains a console-first studio, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has publicly acknowledged the rapid growth of the PC gaming market. In recent investor calls, Zelnick noted that PC has become an increasingly important segment, driven by digital storefronts like Steam, the rise of handheld PCs like the Steam Deck, and the continued expansion of competitive and mod-friendly titles.
The company is not blind to the numbers. The PC gaming market is now a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem, larger than any single console platform in terms of total addressable users. But there’s a difference between acknowledging a market and prioritizing it. For Rockstar, the math is simple: console players spend more per user, require less technical support (no driver issues, fewer hardware configurations), and are far less likely to mod the game in ways that circumvent microtransactions.
What This Means for PC Gamers
If you’re a PC gamer, the leaked ShinyHunters data is a reality check. Rockstar’s internal metrics show that a PS5 player is worth more than four times what a PC player spends on GTA Online. And that’s before accounting for the fact that PC players have a thriving alternative in FiveM that generates exactly $0 for Rockstar’s bottom line.
Will GTA 6 eventually come to PC? Almost certainly. The game would sell millions of copies on Steam alone. But will it launch alongside the console versions? History suggests no. Will it arrive within six months of the console release? Unlikely. And if these leaked revenue numbers are any indication, Take-Two and Rockstar will happily let PC players wait — because console players are already lining up to spend $70 on the base game, plus countless more on Shark Cards and whatever new virtual currency GTA 6 Online introduces.
The Bigger Picture: Hackers, Extortion, and Corporate Defiance
Beyond the platform wars, this incident highlights a growing trend: cybercriminal groups like ShinyHunters are becoming bolder, targeting major game studios in hopes of quick payouts. Rockstar’s refusal to meet their demands is a calculated risk. The company likely weighed the cost of paying a ransom (which could be in the millions) against the potential damage of leaked data. In this case, the leaked numbers — while embarrassing in some respects — don’t reveal trade secrets or source code. They mostly confirm what many already suspected.
But not every studio will be so lucky. The gaming industry has become a prime target for ransomware and extortion groups, given the high value of unreleased assets, player databases, and proprietary engine code. Rockstar itself suffered a massive leak in 2022 when early GTA 6 development footage flooded the internet. That breach reportedly came from a different group, but the pattern is clear: no studio is safe.
Final Verdict: Console Kings for the Foreseeable Future
The leaked ShinyHunters data, as summarized by CharlieIntel, tells a straightforward story. PlayStation dominates GTA Online engagement and spending. Xbox holds its own, particularly on newer hardware. And PC, despite its passionate community and technical superiority, remains a distant third in Rockstar’s eyes.
You can view the original social media breakdown here.
For GTA 6, expect Rockstar to double down on console exclusivity at launch. Expect a lavish marketing campaign featuring PlayStation branding. Expect GTA 6 Online to roll out first on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. And expect PC gamers to wait — possibly well into 2027 — before they can finally experience the next chapter of crime and chaos.
The hackers may have exposed the numbers, but they didn’t change the math. Console players are the real kings of Los Santos. And that’s exactly where Rockstar’s priorities will remain.
Sources: CharlieIntel via X (formerly Twitter), Take-Two Interactive investor communications, historical release data for Rockstar Games titles.
Data from internal Rockstar Games leak shows PS5 has 3x more players in Grand Theft Auto Online compared to Xbox Series X|S pic.twitter.com/Hice8RcXE0
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) April 13, 2026