GTA 6 Preloads Trigger Major Internet Traffic Spikes Across Europe
Internet providers in Germany, Sweden, the UK, and other nations report record data volumes as millions download the 212 GB title ahead of its November 19 launch.
The sheer scale of Grand Theft Auto VI is becoming visible through internet infrastructure. With preloading underway for digital pre-orders, service providers across multiple European countries are reporting significant surges in network traffic, illustrating the massive demand for the open world title.
A German ISP, 1&1, stated that connections to PlayStation Network and Xbox Live were ten times higher than usual during the night of November 9 to 10. Vodafone also reported a spike in the same period. The game requires a download of roughly 212 GB, a file size that places heavy demand on networks when millions attempt to retrieve it simultaneously.
In Sweden, GlobalConnect Sweden business manager Philip Wagrowski noted a fifty percent increase in traffic on the night preloading began. Internet providers in Denmark and Estonia reported similar findings. In the United Kingdom, Virgin Media O2 described November 10 as a record-breaking day for data volume, directly attributing the peak to GTA 6 preloads.
Outside of Europe, the phenomenon is also being acknowledged by providers. In the United States, Spectrum launched a temporary promotion offering qualifying users a speed boost to 1Gbps or 2Gbps at no extra cost, explicitly framed as a way to download the game faster.
Source: Push Square