From Paris time at noon (midnight in New Zealand), players could begin loading the game data onto their consoles according to their time zone, as the download was available from local midnight. They will only be able to play it starting November 19 at midnight in their country.
Available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, the game weighs in at around 212 gigabytes, making it one of the largest video games to launch.
That translates to download times ranging from tens of minutes to several hours, depending on the quality of the connection.
It’s also a way for Rockstar to avoid overloading servers given the enormous demand: two weeks before its release, nearly 8 million units had already been preordered, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower.
The American publisher Take-Two, Rockstar’s parent company, described the level of preorders as “exceptional” in early August, without releasing a number.
Players who chose a physical version of the game will be able to pick it up in stores starting Thursday.
The game box will contain only a download code. No disc will be included, Rockstar warned.
“GTA VI” is priced at €79.99 in its standard edition, and €99.99 for a version that includes various in-game bonuses such as weapons and exclusive cars.
The new entry in this gangster saga, which has sold more than 475 million copies worldwide since its 1997 launch, has been awaited by fans for nearly 13 years.
Released in 2013, the previous installment, “GTA V,” sold more than 230 million units according to Take-Two Interactive.
Observers say it could become the biggest entertainment product launch in history in terms of revenue generated.
