GTA 6 preorders hit $1 billion as Hollywood eyes launch weekend

Grand Theft Auto 6 has surpassed $1 billion in preorders eight days before its Nov. 19 release, according to Sensor Tower, with over 10 million digital copies preordered for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. The milestone was reached faster than GTA V, which hit $1 billion three days after launch in 2013. About three out of four preorders were for PS5, per The Washington Post, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called demand "unprecedented." Sony and Microsoft confirmed it is their most preordered game ever, with preloads opening Nov. 10. The hype follows a December 2023 trailer that set a Guinness World Record with 90 million YouTube views in 24 hours. Hollywood is watching closely, as GTA 6 topped consumer excitement surveys for six weeks, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. The launch weekend clashes with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and new seasons of Yellowjackets and Percy Jackson, with 18 percent of salaried workers planning to take launch day off.