GTA 6 Might Be the Most Anticipated Game Ever… If Not, What Was?

It was way back in 2013 that Grand Theft Auto V was released. For much of the time since, players have been eagerly anticipating GTA VI. The new title is widely predicted to break release day sales records. GTA V was huge on release, bringing $800 million in revenue in 24 hours and $1 billion over the first three games (per GameSpot).

But those figures look like nothing compared to research firm Sensor Tower’s numbers for GTA VI preorders. The firm has been tracking sales; by mid-October the number sat at 6.08 units sold on October 13; that was up to 6.29 million by October 28. The latter would mean a revenue of $675 million. 

In iGaming, the clamour for certain titles isn’t the same. The collection of slots online grows every month; there is constant variation on themes like ancient civilisations and adventure games. The established developers like Pragmatic Play and NetEnt are constantly releasing new titles. 

Meanwhile, Sensor Tower’s Karl Kontus said that GTA reorders could be at around 25 million by release day, which would work out to be around $2 billion in revenue.

So it’s fair to say there is appetite for the new game. If GTA VI isn’t the most anticipated game ever, then what was?

We haven’t got space for all the games that could have made this list, but here are a few that millions of people couldn’t wait to play… and one that’s yet to be released.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

One contender must be The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

In a promotional poster for the first Zelda game in five years, Nintendo ran the slogan, “The most anticipated video game ever. 11 December 98.” That sat below the 3D “N” logo for the Nintendo 64, with Ocarina one of the flagship games for the console, along with Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64. 

The game has an extremely rare 99/100 Metascore on Metacritic, based on critics’ reviews. IGN’s writers locked themselves in a room and played 17 hours straight. GameSpot said people would be talking about the “flawless” game ten years later; that was conservative. 

Nintendo has recently remade the game for Switch 2. Critics’ responses might be more muted this time. Polygon was unsure about the art style and whether Nintendo had managed to balance “modern realism and fairy tale whimsy”. 

Halo 3

Halo 3 grossed $170 million on release day in 2007. Microsoft spent $40 million on marketing. The Xbox 360 had been released two years earlier and the company wanted to sell more consoles.

That release day figure actually broke the record set by Halo 2. The third instalment was preordered by over a million people in North America alone.

Halo 3 delivered on the hype. Critics were gushing in their praise; the game received perfect 10/10 scores from many publications (and often 9.5 or above from the slightly more restrained reviewers like IGN). 

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Stepping into the 2020s, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was named the most anticipated game of 2024 at The Game Awards. It was announced at the 25th anniversary celebration of the original game two years ahead of release. 

It was the best selling game in the US in its first week. Eurogamer called it an “overstuffed but lovable” remake. 

Fable (coming 2027)

IGDB lets gamers add upcoming games to their wishlist and see which games are wanted by the most people. To no one’s surprise, GTA VI was top of the most wishlists for a long time. But right underneath GTA was Fable, coming in 2027. 

Although the new game will be the fourth main instalment in the RPG series, it’s not a continuation of the original trilogy.

The simple title – Fable, just like the original 2004 Xbox game – hints at the nature of the reboot. It’s a new beginning, a reimagining of the land of Albion, rather than a simple remake of that 2004 game. 

GTA VI could surpass GTA V, even if it doesn’t on release day

If release day numbers don’t match GTA V’s, the new game could still eventually break those records.

As GameSpot noted, GTA V’s sales figures benefitted from a unique setup in which Rockstar launched the game on PS3 and Xbox 360, then brought it to PS4 and Xbox One before PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. 

But it is expected that GTA Online will eventually be developed for GTA VI. Rockstar still brings in revenue through microtransactions and the GTA+ subscription service for GTA V. 

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