Forward-looking: Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be the biggest video game launch of 2026 and, quite possibly, the most successful entertainment launch in history. With one month to go before its November 19 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, market intelligence firm Sensor Tower has shared its estimates for the game's pre-orders.
As of October 20, Rockstar has pre-sold an estimated 6.45 million copies of the game – earning roughly $630 million in the process. According to Sensor Tower, most – 74% – are buying the game for PlayStation 5. Broken down another way, it works out to 4.8 million copies sold for PS5 and 1.66 million on Xbox.
An earlier estimate from Piper Sandler suggested Rockstar might sell north of 45 million copies of GTA VI come launch.
GTA VI is the highly-anticipated sequel to Grand Theft Auto V, which arrived way back in 2013. It is set in the fictional state of Leonida, which is based on Florida, and looks to be more immersive and interactive than anything we have seen from the franchise to date. Rockstar has been working on the game for over a decade, so to say it has big shoes to fill would be a huge understatement.
GTA VI is priced at $79.99 for the standard edition, or $99.99 for the ultimate edition. Rockstar is also offering a premium collector's set that includes several game-themed goodies for $399.99. Oddly enough, this edition doesn't actually include a copy of the game itself.
Gamers and other major industry players are preparing accordingly. In August, we profiled several gamers that plan to take off from work on launch week in order to binge play the new crime sim. Competing game studios, meanwhile, have adjusted their launch schedules to avoid dropping new games in the same window as GTA VI. Even the military is getting in on the frenzy, with solders at one base reportedly offered time off to play the game in exchange for reenlisting.