The publisher of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA6), the upcoming installment of the most popular video game franchise, released a trailer. It was viewed over 85 million times on Youtube in 24 hours, breaking all other video views records.
GTA is a popular video game where protagonists can navigate an open world and commit crime sprees. Stories usually portray the protagonist as a hard on their luck individual pushed into a life of crime. Previous installments include fictional cities resembling Los Angeles and New York. Tech Crunch says:
In just 22 hours, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI has racked up 85 million views, breaking a MrBeast video’s record for most YouTube views in 24 hours. That ranking excludes music videos, but the hype around this long-awaited game could smash past those records too — right now, the most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours is the music video for K-Pop sensation BTS’ song “Butter,” which was viewed 108 million times in that timespan.
The excitement for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) is a decade in the making. The last game in the franchise, Grand Theft Auto V, was released more than 10 years ago, in September 2013. According to Guinness World Records, it broke the record for “highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours,” earning $815.7 million on release day from the sale of 11.21 million copies. It remains the second-best-selling video game of all time, falling short only of Minecraft.
The game is set to release in 2025, meaning eager consumers will have to wait another calendar year. GTA is the most profitable franchise in video game history, but the last installment was released over a decade ago. The Verge reports:
Less than a day before Rockstar was set to debut GTA VI’s first trailer, a now-suspended account posted the trailer on X (formerly Twitter). Though the GTA VI trailer was scheduled to premiere Tuesday, December 5th at 9AM ET, Rockstar quickly responded by publishing the trailer in full on its official YouTube channel.
The trailer confirms many little details that have slowly come out about GTA VI over the last two years, including the Vice City setting and that the game would star the series’s first female protagonist with Bonnie and Clyde-inspired story elements. The trailer says GTA VI is set for release in 2025, and in a press release published later on Monday, Rockstar specified that the game is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X / S that year.
GTA has been under fire previously for glorifying crime and enabling bad behaviors. Others have insisted that the series is a work of fiction intended as an outlet and parodying aspects of American culture. The game is rated for adults but many minors have access to it or can view game clips.
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