ALEX BROWN
Five days out, Grand Theft Auto VI is already a record-breaker. Sony and Microsoft have both confirmed that GTA 6 is the most pre-ordered game in the history of the PlayStation Store and the Microsoft Store. The game launches November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and critics’ reviews are reportedly embargoed until November 18, just one day earlier.
What Sony and Microsoft said
On the PlayStation Blog, Sony wrote that the game “is now the most pre-ordered game in the history of PlayStation Store.” Xbox Wire used almost identical language for the Microsoft Store, and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma repeated the claim publicly. Both companies urged players to pre-load as soon as possible because of what they called unprecedented demand. Pre-orders first opened on June 25.
Neither platform holder nor Rockstar has released actual pre-order numbers. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said on the company’s latest earnings call that pre-orders were exceeding internal expectations, and Take-Two is projecting $3.35 billion to $3.5 billion in net bookings for the current quarter, driven largely by the launch. Any bigger figures you see online right now are analyst estimates, not official data.
When do GTA 6 reviews come out?
Industry insider NateTheHate posted on October 26 that Rockstar had begun sending review code to media outlets, with an embargo of November 18. Insider Gaming says it independently verified that date. Rockstar has not confirmed the embargo publicly, so treat it as reported rather than official. The exact time has not been reported reliably either.
If it holds, players get roughly 24 hours of reviews before launch. For context, GTA IV scored 98 on Metacritic, while GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 both landed at 97, so expectations are sky-high. Be wary of any “Metascore” you see before November 18. A handful of user ratings appeared early on the PlayStation Store, but those are not professional reviews.
GTA 6 launch details at a glance
- Release date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
- Platforms: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Xbox One access via Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch
- PS5 Pro: PSSR upscaling and ray-tracing support, according to Sony
- Download size: about 210 GB, per store trackers
- Pre-loading: live now on both consoles
- PC: no version announced
Why this record matters
The PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store records were already held by huge launches, so topping both shows how far digital buying has come since GTA V in 2013, when most players still bought discs. It also matters for the industry: GTA 6 is widely expected to be the biggest entertainment launch of the year, and its performance will shape console sales through the holidays. Our GTA 6 pre-load guide covers the story setup and the long road to Vice City.
Watch GTA 6 Trailer 2
Rockstar’s second trailer, captured in-game on PS5, has passed 188 million views on YouTube. It follows Jason and Lucia as a simple score goes wrong and drags them into a conspiracy across the state of Leonida.
Want something to play while you wait? Marvel Rivals Season 11 just went live with Nightcrawler, and Nintendo fans have the record-setting Ocarina of Time remake.
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Sources: PC Gamer, Insider Gaming, KitGuru, GameWatcher, Rockstar Games.