Will Grand Theft Auto 6 break the internet?
The digital launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19 faces unprecedented infrastructure strain due to its 212GB size and 8 million pre-orders, testing platform and internet providers.
The upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19 presents a significant challenge for digital storefronts, with the game’s massive 212GB download size and nearly 8 million pre-orders threatening to overwhelm platforms like PlayStation and Xbox. This follows the digital storefront crashes during the launch of Hollow Knight: Silksong in September 2025, which saw over half a million concurrent players on its first day. Unlike Silksong, GTA 6 will be a digital-only release, meaning every player must download the game, placing the entire burden on digital infrastructure rather than physical copies.
Experts suggest that pre-loading, which begins on November 10, will help mitigate immediate strain by distributing the download load over nine days. Joost van Dreunen, founder of Aldora, notes that platform holders like Sony and Microsoft are likely preparing extensive server capacity to avoid a repeat of GTA 5’s online launch issues in 2013. Gordon Thornton, former Sony executive, emphasizes that modern distributed architectures and pre-loading options have improved resilience, though he acknowledges potential local congestion on launch day.
The sheer scale of GTA 6’s pre-load and launch-day downloads could still push telecom infrastructure to record-breaking throughput, according to Neil McRae, chief technology and innovation officer at CityFibre. While providers like CityFibre claim readiness for such spikes, the simultaneous demand from tens of millions of players may test local networks, particularly in the US and Europe. Van Dreunen warns that the evening of November 19 could see significant congestion as day-of buyers and non-pre-loaders download the game at once.
The pre-load period itself may also strain global internet traffic, as seen with Black Myth: Wukong’s 2024 pre-load on Steam, which spiked bandwidth usage to 70 terabits per second. This highlights the broader impact of large digital releases on internet infrastructure, especially as the industry moves toward an all-digital future. Despite preparations, the launch of GTA 6 remains a critical test for both platform holders and telecom providers.