Why a GTA 6 trademark was briefly marked "abandoned"
One of Take-Two's 16 US GTA VI trademark filings lapsed to "abandoned" in April 2026 and was revived eight days later. What happened, and why it's a non-story.
Every so often a post goes viral claiming Take-Two has "abandoned" a GTA VI trademark, and people start to worry. iGrandTheftAuto dug into the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records and explained the story in a piece published on September 27, 2026: yes, one filing was marked abandoned, but it was a paperwork lapse Take-Two fixed in eight days.
What happened
The filing in question is 98298472, covering the palm-tree "Grand Theft Auto VI" logo for entertainment services (online games, gaming websites, audiovisual entertainment and video game information). Here's the timeline:
Date | What happened |
|---|---|
December 4, 2023 | Take-Two files it alongside its other GTA VI marks, around the game's reveal |
March 2025 | USPTO issues a Notice of Allowance: Take-Two must show use in commerce or keep requesting six-month extensions |
August 2025 | First extension |
April 6, 2026 | Filing marked "abandoned – no use statement filed" |
Eight days later | Take-Two files a petition to revive plus another extension; it's granted the same day and the filing goes back to live |
"Use in commerce" doesn't mean GTA VI merch has to be on sale. Each filing covers specific goods or services, and use has to be shown for those. Until the game is out, rolling extensions are routine, and several GTA VI filings are already on their second or third.
Take-Two's 16 GTA VI filings
Take-Two filed four logos across four categories (games and digital media, printed materials, clothing, and entertainment services):
- The plain "VI" and the palm-tree "VI".
- The plain "Grand Theft Auto VI" wordmark and the full palm-tree logo.
Only one, 98298438 (printed materials, plain logo), has stayed abandoned since October 2024. According to iGrandTheftAuto, it looks like an accidental duplicate of 98298398, which covers the same category and is still live.
What about WWE's "Vice City" filing?
Another filing made headlines that month: on August 4, 2026, WWE applied in the US for "VICE CITY" for wrestling shows and broadcasts (serial number 50031923), apparently with wrestler Lola Vice in mind. On September 2 it asked to withdraw it, and the USPTO marked it abandoned on September 21. The documents don't say why, and they don't mention Rockstar, Take-Two or GTA.
Around the same time, "Vice City" showed up in the trademark notice on GTA VI's Xbox Store listing, but that was a listing update, not a new Take-Two filing.
Our take
It's a textbook case of a real data point turning into a scare once it's stripped of context. "Abandoned trademark" sounds dramatic, but here it just means a deadline slipped. Take-Two's GTA VI marks are in order, and once the game launches on November 19 it can show use and wrap up the paperwork. If you see similar headlines in the coming weeks, now you know why.
