‘Grand Theft Auto 5’ Earns $800 Million During First Day Of Release

Grand Theft Auto 5 reportedly earned a massive $800 million during its first day of release.

The latest installment of Rockstar’s epic open-world franchise proved popular with gamers when it finally arrived on store shelves Tuesday. According to reports, GTA 5 pulled in close to $1 billion within 24 hours of release.

Not surprisingly, Take-Two Interactive Software and Rockstar Games were clearly amazed by how well Grand Theft Auto 5 has performed thus far. According to the Los Angeles Times, the game gave both companies their highest first-day sales in history.

“All of us at Take-Two are thrilled with the initial response to ‘Grand Theft Auto V,'” Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick said in a statement.

The official press release continued:

Once again, the team at Rockstar Games have outdone themselves, setting the entertainment industry’s new standard for creativity, innovation and excellence. Beginning at midnight on Monday, consumers around the world gathered in anticipation to be among the first to experience the evolution of this remarkable series. In North America alone, more than 8,300 stores opened their doors at midnight to welcome fans whose loyalty and enthusiasm were rewarded with what The New York Times called ‘the most immersive spectacle in interactive entertainment’. We are incredibly proud of Rockstar Games’ creative achievement and could not be more pleased with the success of this launch.

Grand Theft Auto 5 surpassed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in terms if first-day sales. Activision’s first-person shooter amassed $500 million during the first 24 hours.

However, there’s still a chance that Call of Duty could reclaim this title in just a few weeks. Ghosts is presently slated to hit retail shelves on November 8. The game will no doubt be extremely popular with first-person fanatics.

GTA 5 still has a few surprises up its sleeve. In addition to new weapons and items to the in-game Xbox Live Store, Grand Theft Auto Online should launch on October 1.

Did you pick up a copy of Grand Theft Auto 5 on Tuesday? Are you surprised that the game generated $800 million in sales during the first day of release?

[Image via Rockstar Games / Take-Two Interactive]