In short

  • GTA 6 has around $750 million in pre-orders before it's even out, according to Sensor Tower estimates.
  • Its gameplay reveal topped Netflix's charts, and Miami put a $975,000 "Welcome to Vice City" sign on its arena roof.
  • Rockstar's recent launches haven't always gone smoothly, and it fired more than 30 staff in 2025.
  • Our take: the hype is now so big that a great game could still feel like a letdown, but the footage gives us reasons to believe.

GTA 6 launches on Thursday 19 November 2026, and the hype around it is bigger than anything we've seen for a video game. After 13 years of waiting, the question isn't really whether GTA 6 will be good. It's whether any game could live up to this.

How big is the GTA 6 hype?

Bigger than most films. Here's what's happened before the game is even out:

  • About $750 million in pre-orders from roughly 7.7 million digital copies on PS5 and Xbox, according to Sensor Tower, Insider Gaming reported. That's close to the $800 million GTA V made on its first day. Rockstar hasn't confirmed these numbers.
  • 31.1 million Netflix views in four days for the 27-minute Extended Look, which topped Netflix's charts in nearly every country, VGC reported.
  • A $975,000 "Welcome to Vice City" sign lowered by helicopter onto the roof of Miami's Kaseya Center, Beebom reported. Real cities are rebranding themselves after a game.
  • Around $3.2 billion in its first year, if analysts quoted by the Financial Times are right, GamesRadar+ reported. That's a forecast, not a result.

Why could GTA 6 struggle to live up to it?

Rockstar doesn't always nail launch day

GTA Online barely worked when it launched in 2013. Red Dead Redemption 2's PC version crashed for lots of players in 2019, and the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition was a mess in 2021. GTA 6 is a far bigger game than any of them, so some week-one bugs wouldn't be a surprise.

The staff firings

In late 2025, Rockstar fired more than 30 staff. Rockstar and Take-Two said they'd shared confidential information in a public forum and that it was nothing to do with unions, VGC reported. The union called that "a distraction", The Register reports. It's unclear whether it affected development.

Expectations this high are almost impossible

This is the biggest risk. When expectations get this high, a game can score 9 out of 10 and still feel like a disappointment to some players. After 13 years, many fans have imagined their own perfect GTA 6, and no real game can match everyone's version.

So is GTA 6 too big to live up to the hype?

Our opinion: maybe, for some people, but probably not for most. Everything we've seen points the right way: a world busier than anything Rockstar has made, combat that feels closer to Red Dead Redemption 2, and a story that starts in a prison cell. It's also made by the team behind Red Dead Redemption 2, which was worth its own long wait.

GTA 6 doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to make players feel the way GTA V did. We'll find out on 19 November.

What we don't know yet

  • How well GTA 6 runs at launch, and how quickly any bugs get fixed.
  • What reviewers think. No reviews are out yet.
  • Whether the pre-order numbers turn into the record sales analysts expect.

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FAQ

How much has GTA 6 made in pre-orders?

About $750 million, according to Sensor Tower estimates. Rockstar hasn't confirmed this.

Has Rockstar had launch problems before?

Yes. GTA Online struggled in 2013, Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC crashed for many players in 2019, and the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition had a rough launch in 2021.

We'll update this story when the first GTA 6 reviews arrive.