Last week, Rockstar Games joined forces with global streaming titan Netflix to share the latest and longest look at Grand Theft Auto 6 we’ve seen yet. Despite a six-hour platform exclusivity period before hitting YouTube and a modest 27-minute runtime, “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look” nabbed the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s global most-watched list for the week beginning Monday, August 24, 2026.
The video, reportedly “[c]aptured entirely from in-game footage on the PlayStation 5,” is the most revealing look at Grand Theft Auto VI since Rockstar first revealed the title in December 2023. GTA 6 — actually the franchise’s eighth entry — is expected to release on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, provided the studio issues no additional delays.
Netflix’s companion platform, Tudum, shows “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look” amassed an estimated 31.1 million views. From its August 27 release at 3 p.m. ET until Netflix’s weekly viewership counts halted on Sunday, August 30, the short Grand Theft Auto 6 special accrued 14 million viewing hours.
According to Variety, GTA VI‘s extended look wasn’t only popular in the U.S.; the video landed among the streamer’s most-watched programs in 87 of the 93 countries it tracks.
The special short topped new, star-studded platform arrivals like Director James Ashcroft’s psychological thriller The Whisper Man, starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, and Michael Keaton.
Variety’s Jennifer Maas contextualizes viewer counts, clarifying that the two platforms utilize two distinct viewer count measurement strategies. “It should be noted here that YouTube and Netflix count views very differently.
“Netflix defines a view as the total hours viewed for a title divided by its runtime, meaning one household watching a program twice would be counted only once. On YouTube, a view is counted as soon as any video (whether its a short, a repeat viewing or partial plays) starts to play.”
Rockstar first announced its Netflix collaboration in a news release at the start of August: “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look will premiere on Netflix Thursday, August 27 at 3 p.m. ET and will also launch on the official Rockstar Games YouTube channel and the Grand Theft Auto VI site at 9 p.m. ET on August 27.”
“See the next evolution in the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto series. Coming November 19 to PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X|S,” teases the YouTube video’s short description. Since going live last Thursday night, the upload has been viewed nearly 20 million times.
Like a hype matryoshka, Rockstar revealed the upcoming extended trailer with another trailer. While the exclusive look’s own exclusive look is under 30 seconds long, fans still left tongue-in-cheek comments poking fun at brand strategies.
“Get ready to get ready,” the top comment reads.
“We are announcing that we gonna be announcing,” another user added.
Didn’t get to watch? “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look” is now available on Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel, or prepare to prepare by watching the gameplay trailer’s teaser trailer. Y’know, for good measure.
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