It’s not just gamers who are looking at Thursday 19 November as a red letter day: in addition to those eagerly awaiting the launch of the next chapter in the Grand Theft Auto series who believe GTA 6 will mark “a cultural moment”, the UK’s leading comms are prepping for what could be a new record for the most data downloaded in the UK on a single day.
Developed by Rockstar Games, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, the first version of the action-adventure game was launched in November 1997, with its third iteration in 3D – unveiled in 2001 – being regarded as genre-defining.
The new version of the single player game comes 13 years after its critically acclaimed predecessor. It follows main characters Jason and Lucia, a criminal couple in Vice City in the US state of Leonida, based on the real-life state of Florida, with the couple up against a criminal conspiracy. The game parodies the American culture of the 2020s and includes technology such as body-worn cameras used in law enforcement.
Even though the official arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S consoles is set for a week away, digital pre-loading on both platforms has now begun, with code-in-box versions for both consoles available from retailers beginning November 12, with no physical disc version planned. Rockstar revealed that the pre-load file will require up to 212 GB depending on the console, and advises gamers to make sure they have ample space on platforms to begin pre-loading as soon as possible.
It is this size, multiplied by the millions of potential users, that is concerning the comms providers. Grand Theft Auto V is thought to currently have just more than four million global daily active players and just under 10 million weekly global active users across all platforms.
By 09:00 on 10 November 2026, the volume of data downloaded on Virgin Media O2’s network was 75.6% higher than at the same point a week ago, meaning the company was already on course for its biggest-ever day for broadband download volumes. The company had recorded a 54.1% increase in broadband traffic between midnight and 01:00 as downloads got underway.
As it was prepping for the launch, Virgin released research showing the lengths gamers were going to ahead of launch day. On behalf of VMO2, research firm Strand Partners conducted an online survey on 30 October 2026 among 520 UK adults who expect to play GTA VI. The survey found nearly half (46%) of players expect to download GTA VI before release day. Nearly half (45%) also expect to spend £50 or more on gaming kit, excluding the game itself. More than three-quarters (78%) have made, or plan to make, changes to their schedules to find time to play.
Almost a quarter (23%) expect to stay up later than usual or get less sleep, while 22% plan to keep a whole weekend free. Half (50%) of working respondents who expect to play plan to take some time off, with a third (33%) expecting to take at least two days. More than eight in 10 (81%) have taken, or plan to take, steps ahead of launch, from clearing console storage (21%) to checking broadband speeds (18%) and stocking up on snacks (28%).
Massive levels of anticipation are shared by many GTA fans. The polling found that 61% are more excited about GTA VI than most other film, TV, music or game releases this year, and 53% said it will be the highlight of their year. Players expect to spend an average of 17 hours in the game during its first week.
Commenting on the launch and what it could mean for the network, Jeanie York, CTO at Virgin Media O2, said Virgin Media customers on the company’s Gig2 service will be able to download the game in under 15 minutes.
“Fans are booking time off work and upgrading their gaming setups for GTA VI. Their broadband connection is just as important: before anyone can play, they need to get the game downloaded. We’ve been preparing our network for the demand that comes with a launch of this scale, so fans can focus on exploring Vice City, not watching a download bar.”
Meanwhile, assessing what the launch could mean for its infrastructure, CityFibre noted that a number of key questions remained – namely, how big will the file size be? Will there be a day-one patch? Will users need a constant connection to be able to enjoy the game, even without online play?
“The launch of GTA VI is a huge deal – it’s not just a new game, it’s a cultural moment. Grand Theft Auto VI is already the biggest game in history and it hasn’t even been released yet,” said chief technology and innovation officer Neil McRae.
“We’re fascinated as the game launches as a digital download only – a first for an AAA game. Your chances of being among the first to experience GTA VI rests entirely on the quality of your network connection. Major network events that create huge simultaneous user demand, like the release of GTA VI, were baked into the design of our network, a strategy which is paying off as we see growing demand for simultaneous downloads, uploads and cloud-based application use.”
