Grand Theft Auto VI launches Nov. 19 with record sales expected, after 13-year wait
Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto VI" launches on November 19, thirteen years after the previous main installment and after two delays. Analysts see it as potentially the biggest video game launch ever. Roth analyst Eric Handler estimates its development cost at more than $1 billion. Sensor Tower counted over 12 million preorders through November 13, and Morgan Stanley forecasts 40 million copies sold by March 2027. Take-Two Interactive's stock has more than doubled since the start of 2023, and CEO Strauss Zelnick said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that expectations were high and are being "vastly exceeded so far."
The franchise has lasting pull: "Grand Theft Auto V" is still among the five most-viewed games on Twitch this year. Creators are preparing accordingly. Streamer Deansocool, with 375,000 Twitch followers, called the launch a "golden ticket," while Twitch's Mike Minton pointed to the chance to build and retain audiences over time.
The effects reach beyond gaming. BambooHR reports paid time-off requests for the release date are nearly 13% above the same days in 2024 and 2025, and nearly one in five workers plan to take time off. PwC expects gains for food delivery and Miami tourism, and notes Tom Petty's "Love Is a Long Road," featured in the first trailer, saw Spotify streams jump by more than 37,000%. PwC's Bart Spiegel warns that the game, arriving around Thanksgiving, could pull viewers from streaming services and that some companies may blame it for weaker first-quarter 2027 numbers.
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