It’s been 13 years since Rockstar released a new Grand Theft Auto mainline, so there’s always going to be a pretty big crowd for the next one. A week before launch, we have an idea of how big that crowd is. Eight days before its release on November 19, GTA 6 has already surpassed $1 billion in pre-orders, according to an estimate from market research firm Sensor Tower. The firm also estimates that gamers around the world have pre-ordered more than 10 million digital copies for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series The previous game, GTA V, reached that same $1 billion milestone three days after going on sale in 2013, according to publisher Take-Two Interactive. Take-Two has not yet shared its own pre-order count for the sequel, although CEO Strauss Zelnick wrote in a statement on Monday that orders were reaching “unprecedented levels.” Both Sony and Microsoft also said that it is already the most pre-ordered game in the history of their respective digital stores. Rockstar opened pre-loads on November 10, so players can download it before launch day. The hype for GTA 6 has been building for almost three years, since Rockstar released its first trailer in December 2023. It garnered more than 90 million views on YouTube in 24 hours, setting a Guinness World Record, and has 302 million views as of November 11, 2026. Rockstar gave fans more than just trailers to watch while they waited. In August, he premiered Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, a 27-minute preview made entirely from gameplay footage, on Netflix before posting it to YouTube that same day. The launch also extended to music. The official album will be released alongside the game on November 19, and two days later, Rockstar and PlayStation will host a music festival in Miami with performances by Cardi B, Travis Scott, and Justice, who composed the game’s music. This Week’s Best Tech Deal The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is free right now with T-Mobile products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you purchase something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Mashable Light Speed Streamers has made its own entertainment out of the countdown. IShowSpeed reacted to the launch trailer on YouTube, racking up 1.7 million views, while Twitch streamer Kai Cenat rewatched the series and spent over 130 hours playing five old GTA games. SEE ALSO: Kai Cenat Beats Four GTA Games in Less Than 100 Hours Before GTA 6 and It’s Not Over Yet Anticipation has reached a level where Hollywood’s ears have perked up. When Screen Engine and The Wrap asked people what upcoming movie, show or game they were most excited about, GTA 6 came in first place for the sixth week in a row, attracting 8.3 percent of mentions in the latest survey, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday at 6.7 percent. That’s unfortunate data for an entertainment executive, especially considering that The Hunger Games: Harvest Dawn premieres the next day, when the new seasons of Yellowjackets and Percy Jackson and the Olympians also premiere. All three will arrive on a weekend that some fans have already taken time off to spend in Vice City. “Hollywood should look at hours as closely as it does dollars,” The Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley told The Hollywood Reporter. When I say free time, by the way, I mean it literally. Some fans have already blocked those hours into their work calendars. As Mashable’s Amanda Yeo noted in September, a Thursday release means that two days of vacation can buy a four-day weekend of playing, although some were already talking about taking a week or more. Human resources 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 the launch day off to play. SEE ALSO: Do you want free time for ‘GTA 6’? Here’s how to ask your boss. As for workplaces, the company Logitech is giving employees a day off to play a game of their choice, and its gaming division will broadcast from its headquarters in San Jose on launch day. Even an Army unit at Fort Stewart in Georgia reportedly offered eligible soldiers a four-day pass scheduled for launch if they rejoined by Nov. 14. By the time Avengers: Doomsday releases in December, those release day vacation days will already be gone. The question for Hollywood is how many people will still want to spend their precious free time in Vice City instead of watching TV or going to the movies. If the pre-orders are any indication, quite a few. Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or directly to your device? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or receive push alerts from Mashable today. Topics Video Games Grand Theft Auto
