GTA 6 preorders top $1 billion as Hollywood eyes record launch weekend

Sony and Microsoft say it's already the most preordered game in the history of their digital stores. By Olivia Tauber Olivia Tauber Deputy Digital Culture Editor Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter. Read Full Bio on November 11, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images It's been 13 years since Rockstar dropped a new mainline Grand Theft Auto, so there was always going to be a fairly large crowd for the next one. A week before launch, we're getting a sense of just how big that crowd is.Eight days before its Nov. 19 release, GTA 6 has already topped $1 billion in preorders, according to an estimate from market research firm Sensor Tower. The firm also estimates that players worldwide have preordered more than 10 million digital copies for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. (About three out of every four orders were for PS5, The Washington Post reported on Nov. 11.) The previous game, GTA V, hit that same $1 billion milestone three days after it went on sale in 2013, according to publisher Take-Two Interactive.Take-Two has yet to share its own preorder tally for the sequel, though CEO Strauss Zelnick wrote in a release on Monday that orders were reaching "unprecedented levels." Both Sony and Microsoft also said it's already the most preordered game in the history of their respective digital stores. Rockstar opened preloads on Nov. 10, so players can get the download out of the way before launch day.The hype for GTA 6 has been building for nearly three years, ever since Rockstar released its first trailer in December 2023. It drew more than 90 million YouTube views in 24 hours, setting a Guinness World Record, and has 302 million views as of Nov. 11, 2026. Rockstar gave fans more than trailers to watch while they waited. In August, it premiered Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, a 27-minute preview made entirely from in-game footage, on Netflix before putting it on YouTube later that day. The rollout spilled into music, too. The official album drops alongside the game on Nov. 19, and two days later, Rockstar and PlayStation will host a music festival in Miami with performances from Cardi B, Travis Scott, and Justice, who composed the game’s score. The best tech deal this week The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is free right now with T-Mobile Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Mashable Light Speed Streamers have made their own entertainment out of the countdown. IShowSpeed reacted to the launch trailer on YouTube, amassing 1.7 million views, while Twitch streamer Kai Cenat has gone back through the series, spending more than 130 hours playing five older GTA games. The anticipation has reached a level where Hollywood's ears have perked up. When Screen Engine and The Wrap asked people which upcoming movie, show, or game they were most excited about, GTA 6 came out on top for the sixth week in a row, drawing 8.3 percent of mentions in the latest survey, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday at 6.7 percent.That's unfortunate data to see as an entertainment exec, especially considering The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens the next day, when new seasons of Yellowjackets and Percy Jackson and the Olympians also premiere. All three are arriving on a weekend when some fans have already taken time off to spend in Vice City. "Hollywood should look at the hours as closely as the dollars," The Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley told The Hollywood Reporter. When I say time off, by the way, I mean literally. Some fans have already blocked off those hours on their work calendars. As Mashable's Amanda Yeo noted in September, a Thursday release means two vacation days can buy a four-day weekend playing the game, though some were already talking about taking a week or more. HR software company BambooHR found that employees requested Nov. 19 off at a rate 13 percent higher than for comparable days in 2024 and 2025. In a separate survey, 18 percent of salaried workers said they planned to take launch day off to play. As for workplaces, the company Logitech is giving employees a day off to play a game of their choice, and its gaming division will stream from its San Jose headquarters on launch day. Even an Army unit at Fort Stewart in Georgia allegedly offered eligible soldiers a four-day pass timed to the release if they reenlisted by Nov. 14.By the time Avengers: Doomsday opens in December, those launch-day vacation days will be long gone. The question for Hollywood is how many people will still want to spend their precious free time in Vice City versus watching TV or going to the movies. If preorders are any indication, quite a few.Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today. Deputy Digital Culture Editor Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter.