Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) has achieved an exceptional start before its official release, recording the strongest pre-order campaign in the history of the video game industry, according to market research firm Newzoo's estimates. The company predicts that the game will generate sales between $3.3 billion and $5.2 billion during the launch week, making it the biggest entertainment launch ever.

The game is currently available for pre-order on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X platforms in two versions: Standard at $79.99 and Ultimate at $99.99. It will be officially released on November 19, 2026.

180 million dollars in one week

Newzoo's data showed that the game's digital pre-orders generated around $180 million during the first week in six key markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Based on the distribution of GTA 5 sales in global markets, the company estimated that total pre-orders worldwide reached around $260 million during just the first week, confirming that the game recorded the strongest pre-order campaign launch ever.

Sales may exceed 51 million copies

The research company expects GTA 6 to sell around 51 million copies during the launch week, based on an average selling price of $88 per copy. According to the company's most likely scenario, the game could generate up to $4.5 billion in revenue during its first week, while estimates range from $3.25 billion in a conservative scenario to $5.2 billion in a more optimistic one. Newzoo confirmed that even its most conservative forecast represents "exceptional figures by historical standards" for the video game industry.

Despite the record numbers, Newzoo clarified that the game has not yet achieved $1 billion in pre-orders, refuting some previous estimates. Last year, DFC Intelligence predicted that the game's pre-orders would exceed $1 billion before its official launch.

Analysts predict that GTA 6 will become the biggest entertainment launch in history, surpassing the record set by Grand Theft Auto V, which generated over $1 billion in sales within just three days of its release in 2013. Take-Two Interactive, the owner of Rockstar Games, is seeking to recover one of the largest development budgets in video game history. Analysts have estimated that developing GTA 6 cost between $1 and $1.5 billion, while Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick simply said that developing the game was "expensive," without disclosing the official figure.

Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X, amid predictions that it will achieve unprecedented figures in the digital entertainment industry.