Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that the publisher is withholding specific preorder numbers for Grand Theft Auto 6 because the "unprecedented" demand makes the data difficult to interpret. According to Zelnick, the sheer volume of preorders is so extraordinary that it's unclear whether the numbers represent a pull-forward of future sales or a genuine indicator of launch success based on historical trends.
"The massive demand for preorders we've seen to date could reflect a pull forward of sales that otherwise would materialize in the fullness of time," Zelnick explained to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. Because the company "simply don't know the demand curve because it's just never happened before," Zelnick believes that "the raw numbers could potentially be misleading." Consequently, Take-Two has opted not to release these figures publicly at this time, despite acknowledging the game's early success.
The next major event for Grand Theft Auto 6 will be its first gameplay reveal, which is scheduled to debut exclusively on Netflix on August 27. Following the Netflix premiere, the gameplay trailer will be made available on Rockstar's YouTube channel six hours later. Regarding the decision to debut the trailer on Netflix, Zelnick indicated that there is "reasoning" behind the choice and that more context will be provided once the reveal occurs.
For PC gamers, the current focus on preorders and the eventual console launch remains a point of contention, as there has been no PC release date announced for Grand Theft Auto 6. This console-exclusive launch strategy is particularly frustrating for PC players, especially given current elevated console prices, with the PlayStation 5 Pro reportedly retailing for $900.