Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has urged game companies to avoid releasing major titles around Grand Theft Auto VI, saying the Rockstar Games title could dominate gamers’ attention well beyond the holiday season.

GTA 6, widely expected to become the biggest video game debut in history, is scheduled for release on November 19. It will launch on Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series consoles.

‘GTA 6’ could dominate attention

Clancy, who heads the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform, said game publishers appear to be planning their major releases around the highly anticipated title.

He said some companies are choosing to release games in October. Others are holding their biggest launches until after the GTA 6 hype settles.

That wait could last for some time. Clancy expects Rockstar to introduce a multiplayer mode that could create another surge in interest.

“We spent a lot of time talking with Rockstar about their plans, and also helping them think about how they can engage our creators,” Clancy said in an interview.

“You are going to see this big bump with GTA 6, but then an even bigger one next year when they launch multiplayer.”

Clancy said he had not seen a similar level of anticipation during his seven years as Twitch CEO.

Twitch expects viewership boost

The game is also shaping up to be a major event for Twitch.

Clancy expects GTA 6 to bring back users who have not visited the platform recently. He said the game should lead to a significant rise in overall viewership.

“It absolutely will spike the overall viewership meaningfully,” Clancy said. “How much I have no idea.”

Rockstar’s GTA V remains one of Twitch’s most-watched games. Its popularity has been boosted by role-playing content, where streamers create characters and storylines inside the game.

Clancy described the format as “improvisational performance art”.

The role-playing format has also helped GTA attract viewers who do not play the game themselves.

Clancy backs human creators

Clancy said Twitch’s ability to build lasting communities also sets it apart from platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

He said Twitch allows viewers to spend more time with creators and other members of a community. This gives relationships more time to develop.

Clancy also said artificial intelligence would not replace human creators on the platform.

AI can help Twitch creators develop new ways to entertain their audiences, but AI-operated streamers will remain “the exception”, he said.

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