GTA 6 Preorders Top $1 Billion Eight Days Before November 19 Launch
Market research firm Sensor Tower estimates Grand Theft Auto VI has passed $1 billion in preorders and 10 million digital copies on PS5 and Xbox. Take-Two calls demand unprecedented, and entertainment rivals are bracing for a crowded launch weekend.
GTA 6 preorders top $1 billion, according to an estimate from market research firm Sensor Tower, eight days before Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI goes on sale on November 19.
The firm also estimates that players worldwide have preordered more than 10 million digital copies for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. About three out of every four of those orders were reportedly for PS5.
How it compares with GTA V
It is the first new mainline Grand Theft Auto in 13 years. The previous game, GTA V, reached $1 billion in sales three days after its 2013 release, according to publisher Take-Two Interactive.
Take-Two has not published its own preorder total. CEO Strauss Zelnick wrote in a release on Monday that orders were reaching "unprecedented levels."
Sony and Microsoft both said the game is already the most preordered title in the history of their digital stores. Rockstar opened preloads on November 10, so players can download the game before launch day.
Three years of hype
Rockstar released its first trailer in December 2023. It drew more than 90 million YouTube views in 24 hours, a Guinness World Record, and stood at 302 million views as of November 11, 2026.
In August, Rockstar premiered a 27-minute preview called Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look on Netflix, then posted it on YouTube the same day. The official album arrives alongside the game on November 19. Two days later, Rockstar and PlayStation will host a music festival in Miami with Cardi B, Travis Scott and Justice, who composed the game's score.
Hollywood braces for the weekend
A survey by Screen Engine and The Wrap asked people which upcoming movie, show or game excited them most. GTA 6 came first for the sixth week running, with 8.3 percent of mentions, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday at 6.7 percent.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens the next day. New seasons of Yellowjackets and Percy Jackson and the Olympians also premiere that weekend.
"Hollywood should look at the hours as closely as the dollars," said Geoff Keighley, founder of The Game Awards.
Fans take time off
Many players have blocked out time. HR software company BambooHR found that employees requested November 19 off at a rate 13 percent higher than for comparable days in 2024 and 2025.
In a separate survey, 18 percent of salaried workers said they planned to take launch day off to play. Logitech is giving employees a day off to play a game of their choice.
