When Grand Theft Auto VI finally arrives on consoles later this year, barring any potential delays, it's expected to be one of the biggest video game debuts of all-time.
As reported by the Financial Times, the highly-anticipated sixth mainline game in the Rockstar Games series is projected to bring in a total of $3.2 billion in revenue during its first 12 months of availability, according to research group DFC Intelligence. DFC also predicted that the game—due to arrive fall 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S—will bring in over $1 billion in pre-orders alone. For comparison, when Grand Theft Auto V was released over a decade ago in 2013, it surpassed $1 billion in sales in just three days.
The CEO of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, said that he doesn't want to celebrate too early but is confident GTA VI will put in some serious numbers when it's here. "I never claim victory before it occurs," said Strauss Zelnick, per Financial Times. "That said, I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal… Certainly the anticipation is high."
Considering that the highest-grossing movie of all time, Avatar (unadjusted for inflation), earned $2.9 billion worldwide, it’s safe to say Grand Theft Auto VI could achieve the biggest media debut of all time. Last year, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella told GamesIndustry.biz, "There's probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry, so no pressure." The project is estimated to have a production budget of up to $2 billion, so there's a lot riding on its (admittedly assured) success.
In a recent interview with YouTuber Conner Mathew, Zelnick was asked to sum up GTA VI in a few words and replied, "It'll be extraordinary and worth waiting for... I think it'll be breathtaking." Gamers haven't been treated to a new release from Rockstar since Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018, which is often regarded as one of the best games of all time. So, again, no pressure, Rockstar.
