GTA VI tops teen wish lists: 70% of console owners plan purchase

Grand Theft Auto VI is the game American teenagers most want, according to the latest "Taking Stock With Teens" survey from the US investment bank Piper Sandler, whose results were reported on Monday, 2 November 2026. Among teens who own the newest generation of games consoles, 70% said they plan to buy GTA 6, with 55% intending to buy it straight away and 15% planning to wait a few months. The survey, of 8,934 teens across 47 US states, also found that use of the gaming platform Roblox rose to 49%, that Netflix and YouTube were tied as teens' favourite video platforms at 28% each, and that teen spending overall was up 6% from a year earlier. Shares of Take-Two Interactive, the owner of GTA's maker Rockstar Games, rose about 1.5% in early trading after the findings were published.

Piper Sandler's teen survey is one of the most closely watched snapshots of what young people buy, watch and play. Companies and investors use it to judge which brands are rising and which are fading with the next generation of consumers. It covers only American teenagers, but the games and platforms it tracks are global.

The GTA 6 figure is striking. Grand Theft Auto VI's release date has been set for 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Here, more than half of teens with the right console say they will buy on day one. That is why investors pay attention: a launch of that size can move the finances of its publisher.

The Roblox and streaming numbers say something about how teens spend time online. Roblox is less a single game than a platform where users build and play each other's games, and it doubles as a social space. Nearly half of teens using it shows how gaming has become a place to hang out, not only to play. The tie between Netflix, which makes and licenses professional shows, and YouTube, built largely on content by independent creators, shows that creator-made video now competes on equal terms with traditional entertainment for young audiences.

For young people in India, where the same games and platforms are popular, the survey is a useful mirror. It also comes with a reminder: the GTA games carry adult age ratings for violent and mature content, so whether a teen should play it is a decision for families, whatever the hype.

Peepals calculation: The 55% who will buy GTA 6 immediately make up about 79% of the 70% who plan to buy it at all (55 ÷ 70 ≈ 0.79), so nearly four in five intending buyers want it on day one. The survey covered 47 of the 50 US states (47 ÷ 50 = 94%). Higher-income teens raised spending almost twice as fast as teens overall (11 ÷ 6 ≈ 1.8). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: The figures add to expectations for GTA 6's launch on 19 November and lifted Take-Two's share price on the day they were published.

Long-term: The rise of Roblox and the tie between YouTube and Netflix point to a generation that treats games and creator video as central parts of social and entertainment life, which shapes where companies invest.

Who is affected: Teen gamers and their families, game publishers such as Take-Two, streaming services, creators, and investors who follow youth trends.

What to watch next: The release of Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November 2026.

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