A video game preview, not a film or series, became Netflix's most-watched title last week. "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" a 27-minute clip released August 27 the drew 31.1 million views globally over the weekend with topping Netflix's English film list and ranking No. 1 in 87 of 93 tracked countries.
Captured entirely from PlayStation 5 gameplay footage, the special gave fans their deepest look yet at Rockstar Games' long-awaited sequel, featuring protagonists Jason and Lucia across cinematic and gameplay scenes in the fictional Vice City. Rockstar released the same video on YouTube six hours after its Netflix debut, gathering 17 million views there though the platforms calculate views differently with Netflix dividing total hours watched by runtime and YouTube counting each play instantly.
The preview marks a strong comeback for the franchise after a 13-year gap. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V (2013) still holds the record for the biggest entertainment launch ever with earning $1 billion in three days and selling over 230 million copies.
"The Whisper Man" starring Robert De Niro, placed second on Netflix's film chart with 23.2 million views while the documentary "Death of the Pastor's Wife" led the TV series list with 19 million views ahead of "Outer Banks" and "Beauty in Black."
GTA VI, the eighth mainline entry in the series is set in the fictional state of Leonida and follows criminal couple Jason and Lucia after a failed heist draws them into a state-wide conspiracy. The game launches November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
