Grand Theft Auto VI presales are running far in excess of company expectations, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said Monday, according to Yahoo Finance UK.
The highly anticipated title is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S devices. Standard editions are priced at $79.99, while ultimate versions will cost $99.99, Variety reported.
“That's a good thing. That said, we never claim success before it's earned,” Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said.
Take Two says: "Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI are tracking far in excess of our initial expectations, and we know that the numbers will speak for themselves soon enough." pic.twitter.com/S1dM42rIbe
Rockstar Games set the new release date after pushing the title back twice from its originally targeted late 2025 window. The production cost for the game sits between $1 billion and $1.5 billion, which positions it as a massive financial investment for the publisher.
The broader Grand Theft Auto franchise has sold a mammoth 470 million units, while Grand Theft Auto V accounts for roughly 230 million copies sold, making it the second-best-selling game of all time behind Minecraft, according to The Express Tribune.
Market research polls indicate that nearly one out of every three active console players plans to play the new game on day one. That massive projected turnout has reportedly prompted other publishers to adjust their release schedules to avoid competing directly with the launch window.
Set in Leonida—a fictionalized version of Florida that features a return to Vice City—the game follows criminal couple Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. Past iterations of the franchise have featured high-profile voice talent including Ray Liotta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dr. Dre, alongside a soundtrack featuring artists like Tame Impala and SZA.
We can now say it one final time. Take-Two confirms GTA 6 is on track to launch on November 19th. A statement from CEO Strauss Zelnick: “The launch of Grand Theft Auto VI is ten days away, and with pre-orders continuing to reach unprecedented levels, we expect to deliver a… pic.twitter.com/h6LeNRGp0g”
Zelnick declined to comment when asked by Variety about a statement released Monday by SAG-AFTRA supporting unionization efforts by Rockstar Games workers. Exact pre-order numbers remain undisclosed by the company.
Regarding potential ports for personal computers or the Nintendo Switch 2, as well as a full physical disc release, Zelnick stated that such information always comes from the labels, leaving those announcements to Rockstar.
