Why it matters: Rockstar published the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI on December 5 at 9 AM Eastern, and it took just 24 hours for the game to earn its first set of accolades. According to Guinness World Records, the teaser is now the most viewed video game reveal on YouTube, amassing 90,421,491 views in the first 24 hours.
That figure might even be low; as of about 11 AM Eastern, the YouTube view counter is up to 106 million.
Guinness said the clip is also the most liked game trailer on YouTube with 8.9 million likes in the first 24 hours. That figure currently sits at 9.3 million as of writing. What's more, GTA VI now holds the crown as the most viewed (non-music) video on YouTube in a 24-hour period, supplanting Mr. Beast's Every Country On Earth Fights For $250,000 video from August 2023, which garnered nearly 60 million views in its first day online.
As the views suggest, there's arguably never been a more hotly anticipated game than GTA VI. The last main entry in the series touched down in 2013 and considering VI won't arrive until sometime in 2025, we're looking at a minimum 12-year gap between launches.
In any other timeline, Rockstar likely would have pushed to get GTA VI on the market sooner. GTA V was a smash hit out of the gate and set several Guinness records at the time, but the real revenue generator proved to be the online component. With the cash cow printing money hand over fist, Rockstar was in no rush to get a new game out. This provided developers with ample time to dial in the next entry without having to feel rushed. With any luck, the extra polish will be evident when it finally does launch.
Grand Theft Auto VI is set to arrive in 2025. Notably, Rockstar has only confirmed launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. If the last game is any indication, PC gamers might have to wait a while to play it on Windows.