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GTA 6 is the most pre-ordered game ever, putting it on track to beat GTA 5’s massive sales record
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The latest estimates put Grand Theft Auto 6’s digital pre-orders at nearly $1 billion before its planned release, potentially making it the most pre-ordered game ever. The figures underline demand for Rockstar’s next release and suggest it could challenge the sales records set by GTA 5.
Sensor Tower estimates 9.69 million pre-orders across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, worth $942 million in total. PlayStation accounts for 7.23 million orders, estimated at $703 million, while Xbox has 2.46 million, worth $239 million; no PC pre-orders are available. These are estimates rather than confirmed sales, so they are not directly comparable with GTA 5’s reported $800 million in first-day retail sales and more than $1 billion in three days. GTA 5 has since sold nearly 235 million copies worldwide.
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In short
- GTA 6 pre-orders are estimated at $942 million.
- PlayStation accounts for about three-quarters of the orders.
- The estimates are not directly comparable with GTA 5’s confirmed sales.
How this story developed
- 2 minutes ago New estimates put Grand Theft Auto 6’s digital pre-orders at nearly $1 billion before launch, potentially making it the most pre-ordered game ever. The figure highlights strong anticipation for Rockstar’s next release and puts it on course to challenge the sales records set by GTA 5.
- 6 minutes ago The latest estimates put Grand Theft Auto 6’s digital pre-orders at nearly $1 billion before its planned release, potentially making it the most pre-ordered game ever. The figures underline demand for Rockstar’s next release and suggest it could challenge the sales records set by GTA 5.
- 46 minutes ago Grand Theft Auto 6 is estimated to have earned $942 million from digital pre-orders before its planned 19 November launch. If accurate, that would make it the most pre-ordered game ever and shows the scale of anticipation for Rockstar’s next release.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The estimates, if accurate, suggest extraordinary demand and give a reasonable basis for expecting GTA 6 to become a major commercial success. Its reported digital pre-orders alone would point to a launch of unusual scale, while GTA 5’s long-running sales record shows the franchise has a large, established audience.
The case against
The figures are estimates of digital pre-orders, not confirmed sales, and exclude retail pre-orders, so they cannot establish that GTA 6 is the most pre-ordered game ever. Comparing them with GTA 5’s confirmed first-day retail sales and three-day revenue is not like for like, and strong early interest does not by itself show that GTA 6 will surpass GTA 5’s eventual sales.
Explained simply
Grand Theft Auto is a long-running series of action games made by Rockstar Games. Its open-world games let players explore fictional cities and follow stories involving crime, with Grand Theft Auto 5 set in the fictional state of San Andreas.
Grand Theft Auto 5, released in 2013, became one of the best-selling games ever, with nearly 235 million copies sold worldwide. That record makes the next game’s expected sales a point of interest for Rockstar, its parent company Take-Two Interactive and the wider games industry.
Pre-orders are purchases made before a game is released, often through digital shops on consoles. Estimates of pre-orders can indicate demand, but they do not show how many copies will ultimately be bought or how sales compare with figures measured after release.