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GTA V Sold Over 230 Million Copies: What GTA 6 Has to Follow

Last updated Facts checked October 19, 2026

Quick answerTake-Two's August 2026 prepared remarks say GTA V has sold-in over 230 million units worldwide. Sold-in means units sold to retailers and distributors, not copies bought by players. It launched September 17, 2013.
Long-exposure light trails of cars curving along a highway at night
Photo by Victoria Paar on Unsplash (Unsplash License). Stock photo for illustration only. It is not from the game, a trailer or any Rockstar Games material.

A number that keeps climbing

Most games stop selling within a couple of years. GTA V launched in 2013 and Take-Two is still reporting its sales in 2026.

In the prepared remarks for its fiscal first quarter 2027, which ended June 30, Take-Two said that “to-date, Grand Theft Auto V has sold-in over 230 million units worldwide” (Take-Two prepared remarks). Official That is the figure we use here, because it comes from the company that reports it.

The same remarks say recurrent consumer spending for the Grand Theft Auto series grew 3% in the quarter and describe GTA+ as thriving (Take-Two prepared remarks). Official So the game is not only a back catalog title. It is still earning.

Read “sold-in” carefully

Take-Two’s wording is “sold-in,” and the difference matters.

“Sold-in” is the usual industry term for units sold into the sales channel: to retailers, distributors and digital storefronts. “Sell-through” counts what shoppers actually bought. Take-Two’s remarks do not define the term, so that definition is ours, based on common industry usage. The practical point is simple: 230 million is not “230 million different players.”

Game Developer’s report on the same figure says it spans three console generations (Game Developer). Reported That fits Rockstar’s own page, which lists GTA V for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (Rockstar). Official One person who buys the game on a newer console can account for more than one unit. We cannot say how many, because Take-Two does not break the number down.

How the 2013 launch set the bar

Take-Two’s own press releases give the launch numbers.

  • September 17, 2013: GTA V launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A press release the next day said it delivered first-day sell-through of more than $800 million worldwide, excluding the then-upcoming launches in Japan and Brazil, “according to Company estimates” (Take-Two). Official
  • September 20, 2013: a second release said worldwide retail sales passed $1 billion in the first three days, again according to company estimates. Take-Two wrote that it believed this was the fastest any entertainment property, including video games and feature films, had reached that milestone (Take-Two). Official

Two cautions apply. These are the company’s own estimates, not an audited figure. And “we believe” is a claim in a press release, not an independent record. We repeat it as Take-Two’s statement, nothing more.

Dollars in 2013, units in 2026

The 2013 and 2026 numbers are not the same kind of number, and putting them side by side invites mistakes.

The 2013 releases talk about retail sales in dollars, over short windows: one day, then three days. The 2026 figure is a lifetime count of units, sold into the channel. You cannot divide one by the other and get an average price, and you cannot say the game “made” a certain amount from the units figure alone. Take-Two’s results releases are where revenue is reported, on the company’s own reporting basis, and they do not tie to a single game’s unit count in the pages we read.

Four questions help with any sales headline. This checklist is ours, not a sourced claim.

  1. Units or dollars? They are different measures.
  2. Sold-in or sold-through? Channel sales are not purchases by players.
  3. Over what period? One day, one quarter and a lifetime are different claims.
  4. Said by whom? The publisher’s own release is the primary source. A report of a number is press-reported.

Why the shadow is so long

GTA V arrived in September 2013. GTA 6 arrives on November 19, 2026. By simple arithmetic that is a little over 13 years between the two launches, which is our calculation and not a company figure.

Part of the reason GTA V stayed on sale is GTA Online. Rockstar’s page describes it as an ever-changing online world for up to 30 players, and says the current version carries all the upgrades and content released since launch (Rockstar). Official A game that keeps adding things gives people reasons to buy it years later.

What that means for GTA 6 is a separate question. Whether it gets the same kind of online life is covered, with what is and is not confirmed, in the online guide. We do not repeat it here.

What Take-Two expects this fiscal year

Take-Two’s results release for fiscal first quarter 2027 reports net bookings of $1.39 billion and an outlook for the fiscal year of $8.0 to $8.2 billion (Take-Two). Official The prepared remarks say the largest contributors to net bookings this year are expected to include the Grand Theft Auto series (Take-Two prepared remarks). Official

Those are company outlook numbers, which Take-Two itself describes as forward-looking, and they are not a forecast of how many copies GTA 6 will sell. The next results are scheduled for November 9, 2026, according to Take-Two’s investor calendar. Official

What we do not know about GTA 6 sales

GTA 6 has not launched, so it has no sales figure. Here is what the publisher has said and what it has not.

  • Take-Two describes the start of pre-orders as exceptional in its August 2026 remarks (Take-Two prepared remarks). Official The remarks give no number on the pages we read.
  • Figures you may see for pre-order revenue come from press reports quoting Take-Two executives, such as TechRadar, not from a release we found. We treat them as unconfirmed. Rumor / unconfirmed

Anyone who tells you how many copies GTA 6 will sell is giving an opinion. Our opinion, flagged as such: the useful comparison is not the 230 million total but the first-week numbers, because that is what both games can be compared on once GTA 6 is out. Take-Two reports results on a published calendar at its investor site, and we will update this page when real figures exist.

What this means for you

If you are deciding whether to buy GTA 6, none of this changes the practical questions. Those are the price, the editions and the date, and they are in the price guide and the release date guide. The sales history is context, not advice. If you have not played GTA V yet, our GTA V section covers the PC versions, the console upgrade and Story Mode cheats.

Quick facts

  1. GTA V units: “sold-in over 230 million units worldwide,” per Take-Two’s prepared remarks for fiscal Q1 2027. (Take-Two) Official
  2. Meaning of the figure: sold-in is sales into the channel; it spans three console generations. (Game Developer) Reported
  3. Launch: September 17, 2013, on PS3 and Xbox 360; more than $800 million first-day sell-through, by Take-Two’s estimate. (Take-Two) Official
  4. Three days: more than $1 billion in worldwide retail sales, by Take-Two’s estimate. (Take-Two) Official
  5. Today: GTA V is listed for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One and PC. (Rockstar) Official
  6. GTA 6 pre-orders: described as an exceptional start, with no unit count published. (Take-Two) Official

FAQ

How many copies has GTA V sold?

Take-Two's prepared remarks for its fiscal first quarter 2027 say GTA V has sold-in over 230 million units worldwide.

What does sold-in mean?

It is the term Take-Two uses for units sold into the sales channel, such as retailers and distributors. It is not a count of individual players.

When did GTA V come out?

September 17, 2013, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, according to Take-Two's press release.

How many copies has GTA 6 sold?

It has not launched. Take-Two says pre-orders had an exceptional start but gave no unit figure on the pages we read.

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