Rockstar Games has recently thrown out some bombshells that simply prove or give statistics to show that Grand Theft Auto V is not only alive and kicking but thriving more than ever. In just 2024 alone, GTA V was watched for over 1.4 BILLION hours. Yes, that’s billion with a B. And then the real question is… how many of those hours did you take?
This isn’t some random flex; this is undeniably the case that ten years on from release, this game is damn close to taking over gaming culture. Speedruns, roleplay streams, or hilarious open-world incidences- they are simply watching. And honestly, who would not? There are so many things to do in the game that every time really does feel different even after so many years.
So, breaking it down for you, 1.4 billion hours equals around 160,000 years of watch time. That’s pretty much like humans have been watching non-stop from the Stone Age. Crazy, huh? And that doesn’t even begin to factor in the time people spent actually playing it- just the hours sitting watching someone else play it. The stranglehold this game has over Twitch and YouTube, and so forth, is frankly unreal.
So what makes GTA V king in 2024? There are a handful of reasons. One, updates keep coming from Rockstar, even with the whispered possibility of GTA VI on the horizon. The online mode is an infinite content-generating machine, spawning heists, races, and absurd new vehicles at a never-ending pace. Second, the modding community is insane; there is some new wacky creation every week that puts a new spin on Los Santos. Finally, there is the sweet nostalgia factor: the people who played it as teens now have those people in their 20s reliving their teenage dreams and introducing a whole new generation of gamers to their madness.
That’s just one half of the story. What’s more, what else counts as culture? GTA V streams something: next you’ll be seeing this hyperrealistic police chase, then it’s a full-blown desert musical. Incredible creativity, and the viewers are just all for it.
And lest we forget about the speedrunning scene. Speedrunning GTA V: a glorious congregation of glitches, abuses, and good, old-fashioned skills to finish the game in ways the developers never intended. By the way, don’t hold your breath; the records continue to be broken, as is the community’s reaction, watching with awe.
So yeah, 1.4 billion hours is an absolutely ridiculous number. But once you start thinking about how much happiness and laughter GTA V has given to the worlds, it starts to make some sense. We’re talking all the dedicated fans, plus the occasional person who drops in just to find out what the whole fuss is about; they’re all counted.
With no signs of being anywhere near winding down, who knows what the next billion hours will throw our way- flying cars? Or actual GTA musical? Probably not that far off the mark, knowing this series.
