GTA 6's pre-order numbers are the kind that make annual blockbusters look small. One major retailer says the game outpaced Call of Duty and EA Sports FC by six to one — and that's before any official figures land.
What Cdiscount reported
French retailer Cdiscount, in a press release picked up by Rockstar Magazine, said that in the first 24 hours of pre-orders GTA 6 pulled six times more orders than a full pre-order period typically generates for franchises like EA Sports FC or Call of Duty. The retailer's offers director, Nicolas Camia, called it "the biggest cultural event of 2026" and described the surge as unprecedented.
The retailer added other figures from June 25: traffic to its gaming category jumped 500%, the midnight-to-1am window ran 18 times higher than the night before, and "GTA 6" became its third most-searched term — behind only "fan" and "portable air conditioner," thanks to a European heatwave.
The important caveat
These are one retailer's self-reported numbers, not global or official sales data. They point to enormous demand, but they're not a verified total. Real figures will come at Take-Two's next earnings call, expected in early August.
Worth flagging too: viral claims of "39 million pre-orders" and "$3 billion in revenue" have been circulating and have been debunked by analysts. Treat any hard global number before August as unconfirmed.
Why it still matters
Call of Duty and EA FC are two of the most dependable annual sellers in gaming. A six-to-one gap, even from a single retailer, tells you GTA 6 is operating a tier above the usual blockbuster. The scale was never in doubt — now the early signals are starting to put numbers to it.
