Grand Theft Auto 6 does not officially launch until Thursday, November 19, but by most outside estimates it has already cleared $1 billion in sales. Research firm Sensor Tower estimated the open-world crime game generated $1.09 billion in presale revenue from 11.27 million units sold worldwide, a staggering number for a title still sitting in players' download queues rather than their consoles.
According to USA Today, which cited the Sensor Tower figures, the sales surged between November 5 and November 10 as the release date drew closer. The same report, carried by the Miami Herald, noted that preorders opened back in June and accelerated as launch approached. Yahoo Finance reported more than 10 million digital preorders.
Sensor Tower, described in the reporting as a research firm that tracks sales data, also broke down the console split. PlayStation 5 accounts for 75% of purchases, compared with 25% for Xbox Series X|S, per the estimate reported by USA Today. That lopsided split comes even as Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, has yet to confirm its own numbers.
Take-Two Stays Quiet While the Industry Buzzes
Take-Two has yet to share its own preorder tally for the sequel, though CEO Strauss Zelnick wrote that orders were reaching “unprecedented levels,” according to Yahoo Finance. That outlet also reported that Sony and Microsoft have said GTA 6 is already the most preordered game in the history of their respective digital stores, with no public early access before launch.
The hype has a track record to live up to. GTA V hit the $1 billion sales milestone three days after it went on sale back in 2013, Take-Two Interactive has said, per the same Yahoo Finance report. GTA 6's first trailer, which premiered in December 2023, had racked up 302 million YouTube views as of November 11, after pulling in more than 90 million views in its first 24 hours online.
The anticipation extends beyond gaming circles. In the latest Screen Engine and The Wrap survey, GTA 6 came out on top for the sixth week in a row among upcoming entertainment releases, drawing 8.3% of mentions and edging out Avengers: Doomsday at 6.7%, Yahoo Finance reported. Analysts, meanwhile, are looking further down the road: GamesBeat reported that Enders Analysis projects 30 to 35 million units sold in the game's first year, with a breakout scenario reaching 50 to 60 million.
What's Actually Launching November 19
GTA 6 is the next installment in Rockstar Games' long-running Grand Theft Auto franchise, which debuted with the original game in 1997. This entry is set in Leonida, the franchise's fictional take on Florida, and includes Vice City, a location inspired by Miami. The open-world game's story follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, a criminal couple navigating the map's environments, and it carries an M rating for players 17 and older, covering blood and gore, intense violence, mature humor, nudity, strong sexual content, and drug and alcohol use, per the ESRB.
The standard edition costs $79.99 and is available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S as either a digital download or a physical box containing a download code — the game itself will not be sold on a physical disc. An ultimate edition runs $99.99 as a digital download for the same consoles. Rockstar also announced on November 3 a free printable GTA 6 cover-art poster and Leonida map; after launch, the Rockstar Store will offer a double-sided version of that poster and map for 99 cents, or include it as a free gift with any purchase.
Preloading Is Open, but Patience Is Required
Players could begin preloading GTA 6 on November 10, which allows them to download and install the game ahead of release, though preloading does not let anyone actually play before the official launch. To preload, players must enable automatic downloads and keep their consoles turned on or in rest mode on PS5 or sleep mode on Xbox, with up to 212 GB of available storage required depending on the console. Preorders can be placed through the Rockstar Games website.
For fans who want more before the big day, Rockstar released an extended look at the game, titled Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, which premiered in August 2026. The nearly 27-minute feature is available on both Netflix and YouTube, giving players one more way to pass the week leading up to launch.
