GTA 6 – A new estimate claims Grand Theft Auto VI could have generated as much as $1 billion in pre-order revenue in its first hour—before launch—while Take-Two’s stock reportedly jumped nearly 3% when pre-orders opened.
By the time the first hour clocked in, the money side of Grand Theft Auto VI was already moving like a blockbuster with momentum to spare.
A new report suggests Rockstar’s long-awaited follow-up could have generated up to $1 billion in pre-order revenue during its first hour on sale. That number would be wild on its own. but it also lands the conversation beside another kind of entertainment milestone: the estimate is framed against the idea that GTA 6 could have already outpaced the year’s highest-grossing movie. the Super Mario Galaxy Movie. at least in terms of launch-period earnings. The catch is simple and important—Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive have not officially confirmed any figures. so the $1 billion figure remains an estimate rather than a final sales total.
Even if the exact number is still unknown. the market reaction described in the report points to why people are paying attention. Researcher and University of Virginia Darden School of Business professor Anthony Palomba said Take-Two’s stock shifted sharply when pre-orders opened. with the company’s shares rising by almost 3% in early trading. In his words. “Take-Two shares rose almost 3% in early trading when pre-orders opened. and some analysts modeled as much as $1 billion in revenue in the first hour alone.”.
The timing also invites comparisons to what came before. Grand Theft Auto V reached $1 billion in sales in around three days following its 2013 launch. GTA VI has a higher entry price. which helps explain the faster path to revenue that supporters are modeling: the standard edition costs $79.99. while the Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99. Still. the underlying claim remains striking—getting to $1 billion through pre-orders alone would require an unusually concentrated surge before launch day.
That surge is framed through a pre-order count that, so far, remains difficult to verify with certainty. The game is said to have passed 39 million copies in pre-orders. Take-Two has not released official numbers, and there is no reliable way to independently verify the total yet. The story around those figures is tied to where GTA VI is set and who it centers: the game returns players to Vice City and the wider state of Leonida. based on Miami and Florida as a whole. It follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, described as a Bonnie and Clyde for the next generation.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19.
The key detail sitting underneath every headline here is the same: the loudest numbers about pre-orders are still estimates. not official confirmation. But the demand signals—market movement at the moment pre-orders opened. the modeled first-hour revenue figure. and the widely cited pre-order copy total of 39 million—are exactly the kind of pressure that turns an already massive fanbase into something closer to a release-week inevitability.
GTA 6 Grand Theft Auto VI Rockstar Games Take-Two Interactive pre-orders Anthony Palomba Vice City Leonida Jason Duval Lucia Caminos November 19 release $1 billion estimate
1 billion in an hour?? That’s insane lol who even has that kinda money for pre-orders
I’m sorry but pre-order numbers always get inflated. Like it says “could” pull $1B and then everyone acts like it already happened.
Wait so the game is $79.99 and somehow that’s like the same as a movie launch? Isn’t GTA usually like $60 or was I living under a rock. Also stock jumping 3% doesn’t mean it made money already right?
People compare everything to Super Mario like that proves something 😑 If they’re saying it could outpace a movie, then I guess movies are doomed or whatever. I don’t even trust it because it says Rockstar didn’t confirm figures, so why are we acting like it’s fact? Also I swear GTA V hit $1B way faster than that, maybe it’s because inflation or something.