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Grand Theft Auto 6 preview strains streaming platforms and boosts Take-Two stock

High demand for the first official preview of the highly anticipated game caused brief technical issues on Netflix and Twitch.

The short version

  • The first official preview of Grand Theft Auto 6 caused high usage demand on Thursday, briefly overwhelming Netflix and Twitch.
  • Parent company Take-Two Interactive saw its shares rise 2.5% in premarket trading on Friday following the debut.
  • The game is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with some analysts projecting $4.5 billion in sales by launch week.

Key facts

  • Netflix and Twitch experienced bandwidth and technical issues during the release of the first official Grand Theft Auto 6 preview on Thursday.[CNBC]
  • Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, exclusively for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.[CNBC]
  • Global preorders for the game have reached an estimated $260 million, according to data from analytics firm Newzoo.[CNBC]
  • Shares of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, rose 2.5% in premarket trading on Friday.[CNBC]
  • The game will be released only as a digital download with no physical disc, drawing mixed reactions from some players.[CNBC]

What remains uncertain

  • Analysts at Wells Fargo noted there are downside risks that the game's actual sales could miss expectations or that the launch could be delayed.[CNBC]

Sources