Microsoft will stream Grand Theft Auto VI from day one.
Microsoft announced Tuesday that the game is to be playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming on its release day, including for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles.
This move expands cloud gaming for one of the most anticipated releases in history. Take-Two Interactive, the game’s publisher, expects GTA VI to drive its net bookings to between 3.35 and 3.5 billion dollars in the third fiscal quarter of 2027.
Strauss Zelnick described the game’s pre-orders as reaching an “unprecedented level.” Microsoft separately said that GTA VI is the most pre-ordered title in the history of the Microsoft Store, highlighting the massive commercial interest in the title.
The inclusion of Xbox One in the cloud streaming plan is a strategic decision. Using Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft allows console users to play the title without a hardware upgrade.
This approach contrasts with Take-Two’s official platform announcement, which lists PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S as the platforms for release. The cloud offering bridges the hardware gap for a segment of the Xbox user base.
Telecommunications providers in Europe reported a surge in data traffic due to the game’s pre-download phase.
Xbox has also confirmed it’s the most pre-ordered game ever on Microsoft Store. They signed a 10-year deal with Take-Two to bring the game to Cloud Gaming, including Xbox One through streaming, and more games will be added, including GTAV and RDR2. You’ll be able to buy… https://t.co/ycrYzay1xl pic.twitter.com/lNhU5ioFna
“In the first night of the preload, we saw very high data traffic,” a spokesperson for the Deutsche Telekom told Finanzen.net. “The volume was many times higher than usual.” Similar reports came from Vodafone and 1&1, with Vodafone noting a 60 percent increase in data throughput on Tuesday morning compared to the previous day.
Sony also said that GTA VI is the most pre-ordered game of all time in the PlayStation Store. The combination of pre-downloads and imminent release points to a massive data event for global networks.
Take-Two’s forecast for Q3 2027, pegged at 3.35 to 3.5 billion dollars in net bookings, slightly trails analyst expectations. Reuters reports the consensus estimate was 3.51 billion dollars.
Despite this, financial analysts remain bullish. Macquarie initiated coverage of Take-Two on November 6 with an “Outperform” rating and a price target of 300 dollars. This assessment came ahead of both the quarterly earnings report and Microsoft’s cloud gaming announcement.
The company also reaffirmed its full-year 2027 forecast, projecting net bookings between 8.0 and 8.2 billion dollars, a figure that reflects the anticipated blockbuster performance of GTA VI.
This launch serves as a high-stakes test for cloud gaming’s viability as a mainstream delivery method. By launching a AAA title day-and-date with traditional platforms on cloud services, Microsoft is betting on its Azure infrastructure’s ability to handle a massive, concurrent load of players.
“This is less about replacing hardware and more about extending its life and reach,” said an industry analyst who requested anonymity due to company policy. “It’s a calculated bet to prove the cloud can handle a launch of this scale without a hitch.”
The success or failure of this strategy could influence how future, large-scale games are distributed and consumed, potentially accelerating the shift toward platform-agnostic gaming experiences.
