How much did GTA 5 make in 24 hours?

When Grand Theft Auto V launched on September 17, 2013, it shocked the gaming world by generating $800 million in first-day revenue globally. As an avid gamer and industry commentator, I was blown away yet also not surprised by how fans flocked to stores in droves to secure their copy of this highly anticipated title.

In this article, I‘ll break down GTA 5‘s monumental day one financial success and the various factors that contributed to these unprecedented results.

By the Numbers: GTA 5‘s Record-Shattering 24 Hours

Let‘s start with the hard numbers. According to official sales reports from publisher Take-Two Interactive, GTA 5 sold through over 11.21 million units worldwide in the first 24 hours across both console and PC formats.

With the average selling price estimated at $60 per unit at launch, this translated to shockingly quick $672.6 million in retail revenue alone. And this figure does not even include digital downloads from platforms like Steam and the PlayStation Store, which likely generated up to $200 million more on day one.

To put things in perspective, these results gave GTA 5:

• The biggest launch day in gaming history
• The fastest entertainment property to hit $1 billion in sales (3 days)
• More first-day copies sold than most games sell lifetime

This was a watershed moment that set a new bar for video games as money-making blockbusters.

What Drove These Crazy Sales Figures?

As someone who has followed Rockstar Games‘ titles for decades, I have a few theories on what paved the way for GTA 5‘s record-crushing 24-hour numbers:

• Established fanbase from GTA franchise‘s longevity and past success
• Massively expanded marketing budget (reportedly over $200 million)
• Revolutionary open-world design that raised the bar
• Promising online multiplayer component in GTA Online
• Countless 10/10 perfect review scores

GTA has continually pushed boundaries across each new installment, but the jump from GTA 4 to GTA 5 was especially monumental. This led to incredible hype and fervent consumer anticipation in the years leading up to launch.

Of course, while marketing and critical reception play roles, the quality of the actual product drives long-term financial success. And GTA 5 delivered an unprecedented open-world experience that clearly resonated globally.

Just taking a glance at the game’s cityscape, gameplay systems, soundtrack, and attention to detail showcased cutting-edge breakthroughs for the industry. Couple this with the foundation of stellar writing, dark humor, and gripping narrative arcs that the franchise is known for, and GTA 5 was perfectly positioned to dominate from day one.

Ongoing Revenue Driven by GTA Online

While the single-player story mode was the main factor behind GTA 5’s initial sales figures, the subsequent success of GTA Online helped accelerate momentum to drive over $170 million total units sold as of 2023.

By adding an ever-expanding multiplayer component with frequent content updates and in-game purchases, publisher Take-Two created a live service model that continues motivating players (and spending). As seen below, Grand Theft Auto as a series has grossed staggering amounts:

I expect these figures to swell even more once GTA 5 releases again as an Expanded and Enhanced edition for next-gen consoles in late 2023. This remaster will undoubtedly produce another big wave of sales thanks to updated graphics and content.

The Takeaway: Gaming‘s Most Dominant Franchise Ever

Ultimately, the amazing triumph that GTA 5 enjoyed immediately upon launch was due to Rockstar‘s meticulous honing of the iconic Grand Theft Auto formula over decades, paired with huge innovations that transformed open-world freedom into a benchmark for immersion and scale.

As both a longtime fan and gaming business spectator, the record-shattering $800 million+ generated on day one was an impressive culmination of this series‘ growing domination across each release. It took the franchise into rarified blockbuster territory shared by only the very best films or media properties.

And with sequels inevitably on the horizon, Grand Theft Auto is primed to keep breaking records and drive unprecedented profits for many years to come. Because as GTA 5 proved, a phenomenal game that gives fans exactly what they want while pushing new boundaries creatively and technically will always sell at unprecedented levels.