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GTA 6 Needs To Sell At Least 25 Million Copies Day One To Meet Analyst Expectations, Insider Says
A new Bloomberg insider report by Jason Schreier reveals that GTA 6 needs to sell at least 25 million copies within 24 hours of launch to be considered a success. Selling 10–15 million, a figure that would be record-breaking for any other title, would be 'disastrous' for the project given its reported $1B+ development budget. Rockstar is reportedly giving development teams an unlimited financial budget to finalize the game, while Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick described industry expectations as 'terrifying.'
Key update
GTA 6 has to sell at least 25 million copies on day one to meet industry expectations, according to a new insider report. Selling anything less, even an absurdly high 10–15 million figure, would be 'considered disastrous' for the project — and that's according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who has one of the best track records in gaming journalism.
Why it matters
The news comes as Rockstar Games prepares to launch GTA 6 this coming fall, with the marketing campaign expected to kick off very soon. Industry anticipation for the open-world behemoth has climbed to an all-time high, and the stakes could not be higher for one of the most expensive entertainment productions ever made.
What to watch
The report notes that while 10 million copies sold in 24 hours would be a record-breaking achievement for virtually any other game in history, GTA 6 is in a category of its own. With a development budget reportedly climbing over one billion USD amid rising costs and ambitious scope, the financial bar for success is proportionally astronomical.
Context
"Development costs have gone up and up. And we really do aim to deliver the highest quality entertainment on Earth. And that is costly," Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, was quoted as saying in the report.
Bottom line
The Bloomberg insider also highlights that GTA 6 development teams have been given an unlimited financial budget to whip the game into the best shape possible. The Take-Two CEO reportedly finds industry expectations 'terrifying' — a sentiment that reflects the enormous pressure on Rockstar to deliver a generational experience that justifies both its price tag and its years in development.
Update 6
Selling around a 25 million milestone in 24 hours would give GTA 6 the initial push to eventually break even in the future. An earlier report from late 2025 said Take-Two was considering an internal milestone of 18–20 million copies sold on day one — suggesting expectations have since escalated further.
Update 7
On a separate note, the report mentions that GTA 6 is skipping a PC launch at release, with Rockstar believing its core consumers are on consoles. This mirrors the company's traditional approach of launching on PC months after the console debut.
Update 8
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.