Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called the GTA 6 pre-order level “unprecedented” and “astonishing” in an interview with Bloomberg, but declined to disclose specific figures. The reason is that the company is unsure how to interpret the scale of interest and doesn’t want to mislead investors. Zelnick also shed light on an unusual partnership with Netflix: Extended Look will be released on August 27th with a six-hour exclusive on the streaming platform.
Pre-orders opened on June 25th and immediately surpassed all of Take-Two’s internal forecasts. The company is reporting a quarter in which pre-orders were open for just five days. This is despite the standard edition costing $79.99 and the Ultimate edition costing $99.99. The numbers, to put it mildly, exceed any reasonable expectations. But Zelnick is in no rush to celebrate. “We simply don’t feel the need to declare victory before it’s already happened,” he said.
Table of Contents
Why Take-Two is keeping quiet about GTA 6 pre-order figures
Zelnick explained the secrecy by not wanting to mislead investors with “raw data.” The company is in a situation it has never encountered before and simply doesn’t know the “demand curve” for a product with this level of interest. Releasing raw numbers too early could create a false impression of how GTA 6 will perform after release.
Tellingly, rumors of 39 million pre-orders and $3 billion in revenue have already surfaced online. However, these are just rumors, with no official confirmation. Newzoo analysts estimated global pre-orders in the first week at approximately $260 million, calling it “the largest pre-order launch Newzoo has ever seen.” Release Week Forecast: $3.25 to $5.2 Billion.
How the “unprecedented” pre-order start affected Take-Two’s finances
For the April-June quarter, Take-Two earned $1.39 billion in net bookings and $1.53 billion in revenue. The GTA and NBA 2K series contributed the most. However, the company recorded a decline in net income, a loss of $35.5 million, writing off $43.4 million due to the cancellation of an unannounced third-party project.
Despite this, Take-Two reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 forecast of $8–8.2 billion in bookings. This clearly demonstrates the company’s confidence in the November 19th release. GTA 6 will be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. A PC version has not been announced, but it appears it will arrive later.
Why Rockstar chose Netflix for Extended Look
Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look will premiere on August 27 at 3:00 PM ET (10:00 PM Moscow time). Netflix is getting a six-hour exclusive. The footage will only appear on YouTube and the official Rockstar website at 9:00 PM ET.
Why Netflix and not traditional YouTube? Zelnick answered cryptically: “Once people see this extended trailer, they’ll understand why.” When asked directly if it would be like a Netflix series, he replied, “Yes.” This isn’t just a gameplay trailer. It’s safe to assume we’ll be treated to a full-fledged documentary about the making of GTA 6—with developer interviews, new gameplay clips, and scenes from the game. The presentation will explore Jason and Lucia’s story in the state of Leonidas, the driving mechanics, the shooting, and the scale of the open world.
And there’s another, more down-to-earth argument. Netflix has 325+ million subscribers worldwide. Rockstar is gaining access to a vast audience that doesn’t typically follow gaming websites or YouTube channels. This is an attempt to reach those who know about the game but weren’t planning on buying it on release day.
Incidentally, this decision has already sparked discontent among fans who don’t have a Netflix subscription. They will have to wait six hours until the evening of August 27th to watch the content on YouTube.
What’s next: price, discs, and multiplayer
Zelnick called the price of GTA 6 “an incredible deal” and noted that Rockstar has chosen a successful pricing strategy: players have enthusiastically embraced both editions. Meanwhile, Take-Two is releasing the game without a physical disc—the box will only contain a digital code. The business is already “more than 90% digital,” Zelnick explained.
Those hoping for news about multiplayer will have to wait. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that neither Take-Two nor Rockstar plan to reveal details about GTA Online 2 anytime soon. The game is positioned as a purely single-player project—at least at launch.
What readers should do next
If you have a Netflix subscription, you’ll be among the first to see “Extended Look” on August 27 at 10:00 PM Moscow time. If not, don’t despair—it will appear on YouTube in six hours. GTA 6 releases on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Stay tuned for official Rockstar announcements: the company isn’t revealing multiplayer details or pre-order figures, but every new clue brings us closer to understanding the scale of this project.
