GTA 6 Pre-Orders Hit 6.45 Million, Outpacing Modern Warfare 2 by 148%

Key points

• Sensor Tower estimates 6.45 million digital pre-orders for GTA 6, up from 6.08 million on October 13.
• The game has generated roughly $630 million in pre-order revenue, net of returns.
• PlayStation holds a 74% share of pre-orders, while Xbox accounts for 26%.
• GTA 6 pre-orders are 148% higher than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the same pre-launch interval.
• The vast majority of pre-orders are for the $100 Ultimate Edition, according to Sensor Tower and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

Background

GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC version potentially following in 2027. Earlier this year, analysts predicted first-year sales between 30 million and 50 million units. A previous archive entry noted that pre-orders surpassed 6 million units and outpaced Modern Warfare 2 by 148%, with the majority of sales attributed to the $100 Ultimate Edition.

How outlets are covering it

Sensor Tower, reported by Wccftech, GamesIndustry.biz, GameSpot, and TechPowerUp, provides the primary data on pre-order volumes and revenue. While all outlets agree on the 148% lead over Modern Warfare 2, there are slight variations in the exact figures: Wccftech cites 6 million units and $594 million (as of October 13), while GameSpot and TechPowerUp report 6.45 million units and $630 million (as of October 20). GamesIndustry.biz emphasizes the gap between GTA 6 and other AAA titles, noting that Modern Warfare 2 was the closest competitor. TechPowerUp highlights the week-over-week increase of 370,000 units and notes that Xbox's smaller share may be influenced by low US Xbox hardware sales. All sources agree that these are third-party estimates covering digital copies only, and Take-Two has not officially confirmed the figures.

Why it matters

GTA 6's pre-order performance suggests it may become the best-selling entertainment launch of all time, potentially surpassing 48 million units in its launch week. The strong pre-order numbers indicate high consumer demand and could impact hardware sales for both PlayStation and Xbox. The dominance of the $100 Ultimate Edition suggests that consumers are willing to pay a premium for the game, which could boost overall revenue for Rockstar and Take-Two.

What to watch

Pre-order numbers are expected to continue climbing in the final week before the November 19 launch. Sensor Tower previously predicted that total pre-orders could reach 25 million, which would equate to over $2 billion in revenue. The PC version of GTA 6 is expected to launch in 2027, potentially following console shortages. Rockstar is also expected to release the next iteration of GTA Online, which is anticipated to be a significant revenue generator.