According to analysts, Grand Theft Auto 6 may have set a new financial record by generating around $1 billion in revenue for Take-Two Interactive within the first hour after pre orders went live. While there are no official sales figures yet, an analysis of the publisher’s financial activity suggests that interest in the game has exceeded even the highest expectations.
Previous reports claimed that GTA 6 had already surpassed 39 million pre orders. If those estimates are accurate, the game could become one of the fastest entertainment products in history to reach $1 billion in revenue.
For comparison, Grand Theft Auto 5, one of the best selling games of all time, took three days after launch to reach the same milestone. GTA 6 is also a more expensive product, which likely helped it reach that number faster. However, the fact that millions of players appear willing to spend money before release shows the enormous level of trust Rockstar Games has built with its audience.
Anthony Palomba, a researcher and professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, said that the anticipation surrounding GTA 6 has already affected Take-Two Interactive’s stock performance.
«Take-Two shares rose almost 3% in early trading when pre orders opened, and some analysts modeled as much as $1 billion in revenue in the first hour alone», — Palomba said.
Although official sales numbers have not been revealed, the stock market movement suggests GTA 6 may have become the fastest entertainment product to reach the $1 billion revenue milestone, taking the record from its predecessor.
Palomba also explained that pre orders for a massive AAA release like GTA 6 are not only about measuring demand. According to him, they are “an instrument for sizing and reducing the risk around demand.” Pre order numbers help Rockstar Games and Take-Two determine how many copies to prepare, how to handle server capacity for launch, and how to reduce possible financial risks. Other analysts have also commented on GTA 6’s financial potential. Earlier predictions suggested that Rockstar’s upcoming open world game could generate around $7.6 billion in revenue during its first two months on the market. A large portion of that figure is expected to come from GTA 6 Online, which is rumored to launch shortly after the base game.
At the moment, all sales and revenue estimates remain unofficial, and reliable figures will only become available once Take-Two Interactive shares official details.
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