As of November 9, the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is just 10 days away, and its early sales already indicate that the industry is going to see something it’s never seen before. And publisher Take-Two Interactive knows it.
Speaking with Variety ahead of the company’s Q2 FY2027 earnings call on Monday, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick admitted that sales of the game are “far in excess of our expectations”.
GTA 6 is heading for history
The game has already surpassed $750 million in presales alone. By the time the next update comes this week, that’s expected to be over $800 million, a feat Grand Theft Auto 5 reached in its first 24 hours of release. By the time GTA 6 actually launches on November 19, it could very well surpass $1 billion in sales and set the record for the fastest launch in entertainment history.
For Zelnick, it’s shaping up to be an impressive launch. Still, he won’t call anything a success just yet.
“That’s a good thing,” Zelnick said. “That said, we never claim success before it’s earned. So we’re just days away from beginning to see the fruits of our labor.”
When it releases, GTA 6 will be available exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Even with the limited console share, many expect the game to reach up to $5 billion in sales in its first week.
Recent data suggests 7.71 million copies of the game have been sold ahead of launch. By the end of the first week, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think it could surpass 20 million copies sold.
How do you think GTA 6 will perform at launch? Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read about layoffs hitting Skydance’s games division just weeks after the acquisition of Warner Bros. Games. For even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
More from Mike Straw
Comments