Thirteen years have passed since Grand Theft Auto V first arrived in September 2013, a period that has witnessed profound transformations across the video game industry. The landscape today is vastly different, marked by the emergence and evolution of live-service games, the restructuring of major industry events, significant console platform shifts, and substantial economic changes.
When Grand Theft Auto V launched, Fortnite was not yet a cultural phenomenon, and the live-service model, which now dominates much of the market, was in its nascent stages. E3, once the undisputed epicenter of gaming news and reveals, was still a prominent summer event. Nintendo had recently released the Wii U, a console that would ultimately struggle commercially.
The intervening years have brought a wave of significant developments. Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, initially released in 2011, predates GTA V's launch by nearly two years. Despite the absence of a new mainline entry in The Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim has seen an extraordinary number of ports across various platforms, including multiple iterations on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and even VR and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.
Ubisoft's Watch Dogs series also emerged in the wake of GTA V. The original Watch Dogs, which focused on hacking and urban manipulation, was followed by Watch Dogs 2 in San Francisco and Watch Dogs: Legion in London. While these titles offered a distinct flavor of open-world action, the series has been largely silent in recent years.
Perhaps one of the most striking platform shifts has been the presence of Halo on PlayStation. Historically a flagship exclusive for Xbox, Microsoft's decision to launch Halo: Campaign Evolved simultaneously on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5 marks a significant departure from its previous exclusive-focused strategy. This move comes as new leadership at Xbox reportedly considers a return to a more traditional exclusive model.
Grand Theft Auto V itself has experienced a remarkable lifecycle, expanding beyond its initial release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It eventually arrived on PC in 2015, followed by releases on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The long wait for GTA 6 has seen the game also become available on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy already on Nintendo Switch.
The Call of Duty franchise has maintained its annual release schedule, with Activision launching over a dozen mainline titles since GTA V's debut. In addition to these core entries, the franchise has expanded to include the mobile game Call of Duty: Mobile, the battle royale phenomenon Call of Duty: Warzone, and its mobile counterpart, Warzone Mobile. Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard further consolidates its position within the industry.
The period has also seen significant leadership changes at major publishers. Andrew Wilson was appointed CEO of EA in September 2013, the same month GTA V was released. Under his tenure, EA's market capitalization has grown substantially, culminating in an agreement to be acquired by a group of investors led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund for $55 billion in August 2026.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), once a cornerstone of the gaming calendar, has ceased to exist. After years of declining relevance and attempts to adapt, including opening to the public in 2017 and a virtual show in 2021, E3 was permanently canceled. Rockstar Games itself had previously used E3 to unveil titles like the PS3-exclusive Agent in 2009.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, dramatically impacted the gaming industry. Increased time spent at home led to a surge in game and console sales, record viewership on platforms like Twitch, and significant investment in the sector. However, this boom is now widely regarded as a bubble, with the subsequent years marked by widespread layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations as the industry recalibrates.
Bungie's Destiny, which launched in 2014, offered a significant challenge to GTA Online's dominance in the live-service space for a time. While Destiny's initial momentum eventually waned, its seasonal model and content updates kept players engaged until The Final Shape expansion in 2024. Bungie has since shifted focus to new projects, including the extraction shooter Marathon.
Saints Row, once positioned as a potential rival to Grand Theft Auto, struggled to find its footing. After leaning into absurdity in earlier entries like Saints Row 4, its 2022 reboot attempted a more grounded approach, which ultimately failed to resonate with fans. Volition Studios was subsequently shut down, leaving the franchise's future uncertain.
Phil Spencer's tenure as head of Xbox, beginning in 2014, oversaw a significant revitalization of the brand. Initiatives like backward compatibility and Xbox Game Pass were lauded by players. However, his leadership was later met with criticism regarding studio management, increasing subscription prices, and a series of layoffs that contributed to an unstable company environment at the time of his retirement.
The Nintendo Switch, released five years after the commercially unsuccessful Wii U, has become a monumental success. Combining handheld and home console capabilities, the Switch is the second best-selling console of all time. Its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, released in 2025, has also seen strong sales. These consoles have fostered a new era for Nintendo, with critically acclaimed titles reshaping beloved franchises.
Console prices have also seen a dramatic increase since GTA V's release. Factors such as tariffs and component shortages, exacerbated by the rise of AI data centers, have driven up manufacturing costs. Consequently, current-generation consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have seen significant price hikes, with further increases rumored. Even Nintendo's consoles have experienced price adjustments.