The hacker group ShinyHunters has released a cache of sensitive financial data from Rockstar Games following a failed ransom attempt. The breach, which occurred after the group issued an ultimatum on April 11, provides a rare look into the company's revenue streams and player demographics.
Rockstar Games refused to pay the hackers, prompting the group to publish the data on April 13. The leaked information primarily consists of sales figures that highlight the massive profitability of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
Revenue and player demographics
Leaked documents, originally shared via the X account vx-underground, break down player spending in Grand Theft Auto Online by region and platform. The data shows that U.S.-based PlayStation users represent the highest spending demographic, while PC users spend the least.
These figures provide context for why Rockstar is prioritizing a PlayStation 5 launch for Grand Theft Auto 6, leaving the Windows PC version behind on day one. During the pandemic, Rockstar reportedly generated approximately $1 million per day from GTA Online alone, according to reports from Kotут.
Much of this revenue stems from a small fraction of the player base. Specifically, roughly 4% of users purchase 'Shark Cards' to progress in the game. This high-margin revenue model explains why Rockstar continues to support GTA Online even as development on the next installment progresses.
While the GTA Online numbers are staggering, the breach also revealed the scale of Red Dead Online. The multiplayer component of Red Dead Redemption 2 maintains just under 1 million weekly active users, which is roughly one-ninth of the GTA Online player base.
However, the financial disparity is stark. The leaked data suggests that Red Dead Online has only about 15,000 paying customers on a weekly basis. This discrepancy explains why Rockstar has largely shifted its focus away from the Western-themed multiplayer title.
Some industry observers remain cautious about the raw totals. One forum user noted that high revenue does not always equal high profit, citing how expensive it is to maintain large-scale live services like Fortnite.
Rockstar Games stated that the recent hack has no impact on its organization or its players. The studio currently plans to release Grand Theft Auto 6 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on November 19.
