Take-Two confirms that strong sales in 2016 have pushed Grand Theft Auto V beyond 75 million units sold, strengthening its position as one of the bestselling games of all time.

It's no secret that Grand Theft Auto V is a sales behemoth — and really, who would have expected anything else from a critically acclaimed installment in one of the biggest franchises in all of video games. However, new data from Take-Two demonstrates just how enduringly popular the game really is.

The publisher has announced that Grand Theft Auto V recently exceeded 75 million units in lifetime sales. More than five million copies were shipped during the final three months of 2016, which is very impressive, considering that the game originally launched in 2013.

The game actually sold more copies in 2016 than it did in 2015, according to a report from Videogamer. That's far from the norm in the video game industry, and it's this kind of long-lasting performance that proves that Rockstar was right to invest so much time and effort into GTA Online.

The studio has continued to support Grand Theft Auto V with a steady stream of post-launch content that continues to expand the online experience. Just last month, an update introduced a new car inspired by the most recent James Bond movie, as well as a brand new competitive game mode.

GTA Online is a big success in its own right, having generated over half a billion dollars in revenue for Rockstar and Take-Two. However, it's also played a role in the continued popularity of Grand Theft Auto V, as there's always something new for players to check out.

Many players would argue that a meaty single-player DLC campaign would have been a better option than continued GTA Online. However, based on the financial performance of the game, it's difficult to argue against the decision that was made.

Grand Theft Auto V has made a ton of money, and that gives Rockstar a lot of freedom going forward. For the past several years, the studio has been consumed by the project — but it seems likely that we'll hear more about its next project, the hotly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2, over the coming months.

The popularity of Grand Theft Auto V shows no sign of slowing down, so it'll be interesting to see where its lifetime sales top out. When all is said and done, it's sure to be one of the most successful gaming releases of all time.

Grand Theft Auto V is available now for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.