GTA VI in Polish media: 14.7 million reach of the pre-order information in 2 days
The announcement of GTA VI release caused a huge stir in Polish and international media. The pre-order information alone reached 14.7 million people in Poland in just two days, nearly six times more than the same story about Resident Evil Requiem from earlier this year, according to an analysis by the Institute of Media Monitoring (IMM).
Record reach – Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem far behind
Within two months (May-June 2026), the GTA VI topic generated a total of 52 million contacts in Polish media. This means that statistically, each recipient could have encountered the information about the game almost twice.
The pre-order announcement alone on 24 and 25 June generated 14.7 million contacts, nearly a third of the entire two-month reach. By comparison, Resident Evil Requiem achieved 2.6 million contacts during the same two-day period (the day of the pre-order and the day before). In traditional media (press, radio, TV, portals), the vast majority of the reach – over 90 percent – comes from online platforms. The game owes its greatest exposure to the following portals: gry-online.pl and planetagracza.pl.
Controversy fuels popularity
IMM analysts examined what the journalists discussed the most about the legendary game. It turns out that the plot and gameplay mechanics often take a backseat in the media coverage. Much more attention is given to controversies surrounding the topic – price, distribution method and reports of crunch:
- Empty Box – Rockstar decided to sell traditional packaging in stores, which instead of a disc contains only a cardboard box with a digital code. This decision, explained by the desire to reduce previous leaks from the pressing plant, met with objection from some independent stores.
- The price paradox – the game’s high price has sparked widespread criticism. However, financial analysts point out that, after taking inflation into account, GTA VI is relatively cheaper than previous parts of the series from two decades ago.
- “GTA VI Effect” – the premiere scheduled for 19 November forced competitors to postpone their own releases to avoid a direct clash.
- Console War – Pre-order data indicated a 6:1 ratio in favor of PlayStation, posing a threat to Xbox’s market share.
- Technological Realism – Rockstar uses artificial intelligence to manage character behavior, even replicating Miami buildings that no longer exist.
The media also covered threats posed by the release, apart from the game itself. NordVPN warned that growing interest in the game has become an opportunity for scammers who impersonate official sales channels. At the same time, the game is facing allegations about working conditions at the studio, including reports of long hours (crunch). Media outlets also mention the risk that GTA VI success will translate into hardware shortages in the console market before the holidays.
Tomasz Lubieniecki, Head of Media Reports Department at IMM, notes:
The information about pre-orders and details of the release generates intense excitement among journalists and social media users. Controversies such as the price, the lack of a disc in the box and reports of crunch further fuel media interest in the title. This game is no longer just entertainment, but a cultural phenomenon, as evidenced by the fact that the GTA graphic style has even permeated politics and is used by the staff of Donald Trump election campaign.
This large scale of reaction also results from the series’ enormous user base and a long, thirteen-year break since the release of the previous main instalment, which proved groundbreaking for the gaming industry and broke all popularity records.
Social media is buzzing with GTA VI
In Poland, it is social media that primarily generates reach around the game, accounting for 28.8 million contacts, while traditional media generated 23.2 million in the two months under review. The highest audience engagement was recorded on Twitter/X (241.3 thousand interactions, i.e. the sum of reactions, comments and shares) and TikTok (226.7 thousand interactions).
The whole world waits for the premiere of GTA
On foreign websites, the United States recorded the most publications (nearly 16,900 publications in the May-June period). It’s worth noting that these are largely global, rather than local websites. Brazil (5,600) and Russia (5,400) ranked next. The world’s most populous countries, China and India, only came in fifth and sixth (3,900 and 3,400 online publications, respectively).
Methodology:
The analysis was conducted based on the information in the Polish press, radio, television, internet portals and social media as well as on foreign internet portals published in the period from 1 May to 30 June 2026. Interaction status as of 2 July 2026. The comparative analysis of information on the pre-order of the games Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert covered a period of two days: the launch of the pre-order and the day preceding it.
The Institute of Media Monitoring consents to the publication of all or part of the materials provided that the source is acknowledged (full name: Institute of Media Monitoring). When using graphics, the source (name: Institute of Media Monitoring or logo) must be indicated next to each graphic.