Move over BTS, because a new king of YouTube is about to take your place.
The last hurdle that stands in Rockstar Games’ way of making YouTube history, the uber mega popular South Korean boy band with a literal army of K-POP fans, currently holds the record for the most-viewed video on YouTube in just 24 hours. The music video for BTS’ hit song, Butter, had 108 million views in its first 24 hours of being uploaded online. On the other hand, GTA VI made over half of that less than 12 hours after Rockstar had no choice but to upload the video due to an earlier leak. Now that most of the internet knows that the cat is out of the bag, what are the chances that the official GTA VI trailer will surpass BTS’ record when it’s all said and done?
Well, actually, it has a fair shot at becoming the most-watched YouTube ever in 24 hours, and it appears that its massive fanbase isn’t afraid to help give it the necessary push.
The first trailer for the game has already made a significant impact, breaking the record for the most views on YouTube for a non-music video in 24 hours. This record-breaking trailer has surpassed Mr. Beast’s previous record, attracting a staggering 69 million views with several hours still remaining in the day, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Rockstar first confirmed the development of GTA VI back in February 2022. This announcement ended years of rumors, speculation, and leaks about the game. The anticipation for GTA VI has only intensified since, as it is the eighth mainline installment and the 16th installment overall in the series. The development timeline of the next GTA game is still unclear, but it’s believed that the game has been in the works for several years, following the release of GTA V in 2013 and Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018. More importantly, it has cost Rockstar billions so far, but is expected to make up its development budget within its first few days of hitting the market.
The first trailer for GTA VI shatters previous YouTube records and confirms that the game is set in Vice City, a familiar if controversial location for fans of the series. The trailer introduces two protagonists – a criminally-inclined couple, no less – and showcases a modern-day version of the Miami City-inspired setting, differing from the stylized 1980s setting of the previous game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. This fresh take on Vice City and a satirical version of the entire state of Florida bring new dimensions to the well-loved location and it appears that even its real-world counterpart’s residents are loving it.
Despite the excitement surrounding the game’s announcement, there’s a notable omission in the release plan. The press release from Take-Two Interactive Software, Rockstar’s parent company, mentions that GTA VI will be released on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, but it doesn’t mention a PC release at all. This decision follows a now-established pattern by Rockstar with previous titles, such as GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, where the desktop version of the said pair of games were released some time after the console versions. While disappointing for PC gamers, this strategy is not unprecedented for Rockstar Games.
The record-breaking trailer has fueled immense excitement and anticipation for GTA VI, cementing its status as one of the most eagerly awaited games. What’s even more amazing is that, earlier in the day, looking up “GTA 6” on YouTube wouldn’t even lead directly to the game’s official trailer. It took a herculean effort from fans to keep on spamming GTA 6 in the comments section for the video to be near the top of the list, presumably because of how YouTube’s algorithm works and how it doesn’t consider the words “GTA 6” and “GTA VI” on and the same.
Nevertheless, with a 2025 release date for consoles, fans are eagerly awaiting more details about the game, particularly regarding the continued evolution of GTA Online and the impact of the return to Vice City.
For now though, the internet is watching closely as the numbers for the official GTA VI trailer continue to climb. The only question now is, if it does set a new YouTube record for the most-watched video in its first 24 hours, what else can do it? As it stands, the most-watched YouTube video of all time, Baby Shark Dance, has pulled in nearly 14 billion views – and counting.
