GTA 6 opened for pre-order in late June this year, and as expected, demand has been massive. Take-Two stated that GTA 6 has seen unprecedented pre-order numbers, but to avoid misleading investors, the company did not disclose specific figures. However, game research and analytics firm Sensor Tower is currently estimating the pre-order volume.
Karl Kontus, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Game Insights at Sensor Tower, told GI.biz that GTA 6's pre-orders could reach around 25 million units by the time of its release, which would be an "unprecedented pre-order figure."
Kontus stated that 25 million pre-orders would generate approximately $2 billion in revenue. He estimates that this income would be enough to cover GTA 6's development costs and most of its marketing expenses. Of course, Rockstar has not yet disclosed the production or marketing budget for GTA 6, but the game's production costs are undoubtedly extremely high.
The analyst pointed out that the official marketing campaign for GTA 6 has not yet begun—fans can expect it to kick off with the trailer released on Netflix on August 28. Kontus stated that the majority of GTA 6 pre-orders will concentrate in the final week leading up to the release.
Kontus also noted that while early pre-order data may skew towards the $100 version of the game, the final figures will likely be closer to an even split between the $80 and $100 versions.
Kontus also discussed how Take-Two cleverly bundled the $100 Ultimate Edition with a large amount of exclusive items to encourage players to spend more.
"Sometimes, premium editions are just padded to justify a higher price, but GTA 6's Premium Edition includes a substantial number of vehicles, weapons, and even a customization shop, none of which are available in the standard edition. For many people, this is a 'must-buy' game of the year, and they definitely want to get the most out of it. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised they didn't release a $150 premium edition—it feels like leaving money on the table (though that would likely reduce player dissatisfaction)."
GTA 6 is scheduled for release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms. It is expected to be the most anticipated game of 2026, and with the launch of the next generation of GTA Online, it may see another significant surge.