Grand Theft Auto 6 is undoubtedly set to become a sales juggernaut when it launches later this year, but the game could outsell most other major titles through pre-orders alone. A research firm has predicted that GTA 6, one of the most anticipated games of all time, will likely collect over $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,577 crore) from pre-purchases before it arrives on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X in Fall 2025. The open world title is also reportedly expected to generate over $3 billion in revenue for Take-Two Interactive in its first year.
GTA 6 to Break Sales Records, Analysts Say
Analysts at DFC Intelligence, a video games market research firm, told FT that Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders were likely to exceed $1 billion. To put that in perspective, Grand Theft Auto 5 raked in $1 billion within three days of launch.
GTA 6 is also expected to generate a revenue of $3.2 billion (roughly Rs. 27,450 crore) in the first 12 months of its release, the FT report said, citing DFC. This figure would double the revenue brought in by GTA 5 in the same period. GTA 6’s expected stellar performance will make it the biggest entertainment launch in 2025, the report said, exceeding the top grossing films and other media releases of the year.
In fact, Rockstar Games’ next title, that has drummed up anticipation like no other media franchise, video game or film, will likely become the biggest entertainment product of all time, an expectation that’s echoed by IDG Consulting, another games-focussed consulting firm.
“We think it’s going to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, not just in games but for all of media,” IDG Consulting chief Yoshio Osaki told FT. “The pent-up demand is greater than anything we’ve seen before.”
Rockstar parent Take-Two is gearing up for the GTA 6 launch and the resulting boost for its earnings in FY 2026. While the game is expected to break all sales records, Take-Two CEO sought to temper the sky-high expectations.
“I never claim victory before it occurs. That said, I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal… Certainly the anticipation is high,” he told FT.
Zelnick had said last year that he was “highly confident” GTA 6 would launch in the Fall season of 2025. Rockstar has not yet confirmed a launch date for the game, and consequently GTA is not yet available to pre-order on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
Grand Theft Auto games have always set a high benchmark for sales in the games industry and beyond. GTA 5, which launched on PS3 and Xbox One in 2013, is one of the most successful entertainment products of all time, generating over $8.5 billion in revenue. The game has sold over 205 million copies and has remained popular across platforms over a decade after its release. Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2, the open-world Western that released in 2018, is also one of the highest selling games of all time, with over 67 million copies sold.
