GTA 6 Pre-Orders Could Rake in Over $1 Billion in the First Hour, Industry Insider Predicts

With Rockstar Games confirming that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will go live on Xbox and PlayStation platforms this June 25, industry watchers are already bracing for what could become the biggest commercial event in entertainment history.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Insider Gaming weekly podcast, well-known leaker and journalist Tom Henderson laid out staggering projections for the game’s pre-order debut. According to Henderson, GTA 6 is poised to surpass $1 billion in revenue within its very first hour of pre-order availability — roughly ¥6.79 billion at current exchange rates. In unit terms, that translates to an estimated 12 to 14 million copies sold in sixty minutes, a figure that eclipses the lifetime sales of most AAA titles.

For perspective, Grand Theft Auto V took three full days to cross the $1 billion revenue threshold back in 2013. “This is going to be a massive cultural event,” Henderson remarked. “GTA 5 hit $1 billion in three days — this one will do it in an hour, no problem.”

The numbers only escalate from there. Investment bank Piper Sandler previously estimated that GTA 6 could move over 46 million copies on launch day alone, generating roughly $3 billion (approximately ¥20.4 billion) in revenue. Earlier analyst benchmarks pegged a “successful” launch at 25 million units on day one — a sky-high bar that Rockstar’s flagship title appears well-positioned to clear.

Perhaps most remarkable of all: with a reported development budget exceeding $1 billion, the game could recoup its entire production cost before the pre-order window even hits the one-hour mark. Every dollar — and every copy sold — beyond that point would push what is already shaping up to be the most lucrative entertainment product launch ever into genuinely uncharted territory.