How the game could hit food delivery, tourism and PTO

It’s been 13 years since the last installment of Grand Theft Auto, and fans are getting ready for what analysts say could be the biggest video game launch of all time.

The latest game in the franchise, “Grand Theft Auto VI,” is set to launch on Nov. 19, after Take-Two Interactive’s Rockstar Games delayed its launch twice. Roth analyst Eric Handler estimated the game maker spent more than $1 billion developing the game.

Sales figures could end up breaking records. Sensor Tower estimated over 12 million preorders through Nov. 13, and Morgan Stanley forecast the game could sell 40 million copies by March 2027.

Beyond launch week, the Grand Theft Auto, or GTA, franchise has a track record of lasting engagement over many years. Even 13 years after launch, “Grand Theft Auto V” is one of the top five most viewed games on Twitch this year. 

In anticipation of the game’s launch, investors have been taking note: Take-two’s stock has more than doubled since the beginning of 2023.

The release is seen as not only a monumental moment for developer Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two, but also a massive opportunity for the entire gaming industry. 

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed demand in a recent “Squawk Box” interview, saying, “We tend to be pretty judicious when we talk about this sort of thing, but our expectations were high and they are being vastly exceeded so far.”

Streamers and creators across the digital ecosystem are looking at the launch as a massive opportunity to drive engagement with their content and fuel subscriber and ad revenue growth.

A creator who goes by the name Deansocool, who has 375,000 followers on Twitch and posts content to YouTube and other social platforms as well, said “GTA VI” will enable creators to grow their audience and provide a massive opportunity for newer streamers to make a name for themselves.

“This game is going to make a lot of millionaires in 2027. A lot of creators gotta understand this is it. This is that golden ticket. This is like a hundred times bigger than Fortnite,” he said in an interview with CNBC.

“It goes beyond this launch moment into this sustaining opportunity for them to grow, build, engage and retain their audience and ultimately support themselves by making money,” said Twitch Chief Product Officer Mike Minton.

BambooHR, a workplace time-off platform, reported that paid time off requests for the “GTA VI” release date are nearly 13% higher than equivalent days in 2024 and 2025. It also noted that nearly one in five workers are planning to take time off for the launch.

PwC issued a report examining all the different sectors of the economy that could benefit from the game’s launch — or be hurt by it. The firm projected that food delivery companies could see a surge from hunkered-down gamers, and Miami tourism could…