Grand Theft Auto VI preorders have crossed $1 billion, according to a report from Sensor Tower.
On Monday, Take-Two didn’t say how many preorders had accummulated to date but it said that demand for GTA VI was extraordinary. The game launches on November 19 on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Preloading is now available to anyone who ordered digitally, with the file size at 207.7GB. Sensor Tower said its third-party number matches an estimated 10.31 million copies sold.
Meanwhile, new data from Deputy reveals how major video game releases can create unexpected staffing challenges for frontline employers, with absenteeism increasing nearly 9% among U.S. shift workers during a major public launch.
An analysis of Deputy’s U.S. shift-work data found that: hospitality saw the largest increase in absenteeism, jumping 32.4%, roughly 3.6 times the increase across all U.S. shift workers.
The company also said retail absenteeism increased 14.5%, making it the second most affected industry; and the disruption starts before launch day. Deputy found absenteeism is already elevated the day before blockbuster releases, pointing to a growing “download day” effect as employees take time off to install games before they go live.
Meanwhile, Enders Analysis said “the console landscape has darkened further over the last 12 months, largely due to the memory chip shortage, or “RAMageddon” shock for console components. That has constrained the supply of consoles and driven up costs for manufacturers, leading to higher prices for the consoles.
“Average console prices are higher than they have ever been, with tariff impacts making the problem even worse in the US market. While both Microsoft and Sony have consistently messaged in earnings calls that they remain constrained by shortages, the question of falling demand remains in the air,” Enders Analysis said.
Still, Sony has the upper hand, as the PlayStation 5 is in the process of crossing 100 million consoles sold over the last six years. Enders Analysis estimates Sony is outselling Xbox by a four-to-one margin.
“Should GTAVI achieve a breakout run rate, the next report from Take-Two on initial sales will be required to upgrade earnings guidance as well. Our projection is for 30-35 million units in year 1 but with a breakout scenario in the 50 to 60 million unit range,” Enders Analysis said.
Meanwhile, based on Take-Two’s earnings this week, Freedom Capital Markets analyst Nick McKay said in a report, “At a high level, FY:27 appears set to be even more Grand Theft Auto VI-heavy than we had imagined three months ago given the higher unit estimate that we are using (up two million from prior levels) and the Grand Theft Auto Online recurrent consumer spending (RCS) boost.” “
McKay noted that for Q3:27 (December 2026 quarter), Take-Two guided to net bookings $3.35 billion to $3.5 billion and earnings per share of $3.80 to $4.00, vs. consensus of $3.421 billion and $3.98.
“We are going to $3.65 billion and $4.50 a share from $3.4 billion and $3.65 previously,” he said. For Q4:27 (March 2027 quarter), the implied ranges are roughly $1.55 billion to $1.86 billion and 43 cents to 86 cents. McKay’s revised estimates are $1.86 billion in bookings and earnings per share of 86 cents.