The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer breaks YouTube
Rockstar confirms the sequel with the most-watched non-music video in a day
Quick facts
- Released
- 4 December 2023 (brought forward from 5 December after a leak)
- First 24 hours
- 90,421,491 views (Guinness World Records)
- Records
- Most-viewed video game reveal trailer, and most-viewed non-music YouTube video, in 24 hours
- Plan at the time
- Release in fall of calendar 2025
What happened
After a decade of speculation, Rockstar released the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. It was scheduled for 5 December 2023, but Rockstar brought it forward to the evening of 4 December after the trailer leaked online. Set in a modern Vice City, it drew 90,421,491 views in its first 24 hours, which Guinness World Records certified as the most-viewed video game reveal trailer ever and the most-viewed non-music YouTube video in a day, ahead of any film trailer or viral clip. Take-Two's annual report that year set the plan: a release in the fall of calendar 2025.
Why it matters
The trailer turned a long-rumored sequel into the most-anticipated release in the medium and a mainstream cultural event, watched by tens of millions who do not play games. It also started a public countdown that the studio would go on to revise more than once.
How we know
The month of the trailer comes from Take-Two's fiscal 2024 annual report, which states the first trailer released in December 2023 and set a fall 2025 target; the exact 24-hour view count and the records are from Guinness World Records; the early release after a leak is documented in contemporary reporting from 4 December 2023. View counts are self-reported by YouTube and reflect the platform's own metric.
Sources
- MobileSyrup. Rockstar drops GTA VI trailer early following several leaks (MobileSyrup, 4 December 2023) (2023) · General sourcemobilesyrup.com · Cited as a "news" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.. Take-Two Interactive annual report (10-K) for fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 (SEC EDGAR) (2024) · Primary source (author-declared)sec.gov · Cited as a "primary" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- Guinness World Records. Most viewed videogame reveal trailer on YouTube in 24 hours: Grand Theft Auto VI, 90,421,491 views (Guinness World Records) (2023) · General sourceguinnessworldrecords.com · Cited as a "reference" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
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