GTA 6's Historic Launch Caps 13-Year Wait With Record Pre-Orders

The release of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19, 2026, is set to be the biggest entertainment launch in history, following a record-breaking production budget and marketing campaign. Pre-orders have already generated approximately $750 million. The game, available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, will be downloadable from November 10 but playable at midnight on November 19. Analysts estimate its production budget between $1 and $1.5 billion, with 29% of US console owners planning to purchase the title. The launch ends a 13-year wait since GTA 5, which sold 230 million copies and reached $1 billion in revenue in three days. Rockstar spent over eight years developing the game, facing delays and leaks, while the industry watches closely amid a sector slowdown.