Grand Theft Auto 6 Launches After 13-Year Wait, Shattering Pre-Order Records
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Grand Theft Auto 6 is launching this week after a 13-year wait, with pre-orders already generating an estimated $1.18 billion. The game returns players to Vice City and features a criminal duo narrative. In Israel, it releases November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, with prices starting at 319 shekels. Analysts predict the game will be a massive financial success, potentially earning $3.2 billion in its first year.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Grand Theft Auto 6 launches this week after a 13-year wait, the longest in the series.
- Pre-orders have already generated an estimated $1.18 billion, shattering industry records.
- The game returns players to Vice City, featuring a criminal couple named Lucia and Jason.
- Analysts predict GTA 6 will earn approximately $3.2 billion in its first year.
- In Israel, the game launches November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, costing 319 shekels.
- The game requires at least 212 GB of storage space for download.
After a 13-year wait since the last installment, Rockstar Games is set to release Grand Theft Auto 6 this weekend, marking the longest gap between titles in the popular series. The game transports players back to Vice City, a fictionalized version of Miami, featuring advanced graphics of tropical beaches, nightclubs, yachts, highways, swamps, and crocodiles. The narrative centers on Lucia and Jason, a couple attempting to make money in the criminal underworld, drawing comparisons to Bonnie and Clyde. Lucia is released from prison, while Jason, a former soldier, is involved in drug dealing, and a seemingly simple robbery escalates into a nationwide criminal conspiracy.
GTA 5, released in 2013, has sold over 235 million copies and generated approximately $800 million in retail sales within its first 24 hours. Even before its official launch, GTA 6 is breaking records, with Sensor Tower reporting around 7.7 million digital pre-orders in early November. Rockstar confirms demand far exceeds initial forecasts, with approximately 12 million digital copies pre-ordered by early this week, generating an estimated $1.18 billion before the game is even available to the public. This figure rivals major Hollywood blockbusters, and analysts predict GTA 6 could earn around $3.2 billion in its first year, nearly double its predecessor's performance in the same period. The parent company, Take-Two, estimates net bookings for all its games in the October-December quarter to be between $3.35 and $3.5 billion, with much of this growth attributed to GTA 6.
In Israel, the game will launch at midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, November 19th, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The standard edition costs 319 shekels, and the Ultimate edition, including exclusive in-game items and vehicles, is 399 shekels. Pre-orders placed before November 20th will receive additional special bonuses. Players who pre-ordered can already download the game, which requires at least 212 GB of free space, though they cannot play until the official launch. A PC version has not yet been announced, and the game is not compatible with PlayStation 4. Xbox One owners can access it via Microsoft's cloud service, subject to availability. Physical copies will include a download code rather than a traditional game disc.
GTA 6 faces the significant challenge of justifying over a decade of anticipation, meeting the expectations of millions of fans who have envisioned the perfect game, and innovating a series that has influenced nearly every open-world game released since. The success of Rockstar's latest endeavor will be revealed this Thursday, determining if they have once again changed the gaming landscape or if the immense expectations have become their greatest adversary.
