Key Takeaways
- GTA 6 pre-loading caused network congestion for UK internet provider YouFibre on November 10, affecting customers around Yorkshire.
- YouFibre CEO Jeremy Chelot confirmed that one of the company’s Broadband Network Gateways was struggling with the sudden increase in download traffic.
- The provider completed emergency traffic management to redistribute network traffic, restoring normal service after approximately an hour.
- Virgin Media O2 also recorded its highest-ever daily broadband data volume and peak traffic on November 10 as players downloaded GTA 6.
- Rockstar’s upcoming game requires up to 212GB of available storage, making it one of the largest console game downloads.
Grand Theft Auto 6 hasn’t even launched yet, but Rockstar Games’ upcoming open-world adventure is already causing problems for some internet providers. With millions of players preparing for the game’s November 19 release, digital pre-loading has triggered an enormous surge in download traffic, and at least one UK broadband provider has struggled to keep up.
YouFibre recently warned customers that GTA 6 downloads were affecting its network capacity, resulting in slower internet speeds. The company’s CEO, Jeremy Chelot, also confirmed that parts of Yorkshire were experiencing congestion because one of its Broadband Network Gateways was struggling with the sudden increase in traffic.
Fortunately, the disruption didn’t last particularly long. YouFibre later confirmed that its network team had completed emergency traffic management to distribute the additional load across its wider network, allowing normal service to resume. However, the incident offers an early indication of just how much demand Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto game is generating before launch.
GTA 6 Preloads Cause Internet Congestion for UK YouFibre Customers
The problems began on November 10, when Rockstar officially opened digital pre-loading for GTA 6 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Players who had pre-ordered the game could finally start downloading its massive installation files ahead of the November 19 launch.
However, the sudden increase in download activity created an unexpected problem for YouFibre. The UK internet provider sent an email to customers acknowledging that the demand for GTA 6 downloads was affecting its network capacity.
In its message, the company explained that the unusually high download demand had caused overall download speeds across its service to decrease. YouFibre also confirmed that its network team was implementing emergency traffic management measures to distribute the additional load and improve performance.
The situation was also acknowledged publicly by YouFibre CEO Jeremy Chelot, who took to X to explain what was happening.
“GTA6 is causing issue with one of our [Broadband Network Gateways]… trying to rebalance the traffic… therefore people around Yorkshire are currently suffering congestion… bear with us please,” Chelot wrote.
A Broadband Network Gateway, or BNG, is an important part of an internet provider’s infrastructure that manages connections between customers and the wider network. In this case, YouFibre was attempting to redistribute traffic to prevent an overloaded gateway from affecting customers in the surrounding areas.
The incident therefore wasn’t evidence of a nationwide UK internet outage. Instead, it was a localized network capacity problem that affected some YouFibre customers, particularly those around Yorkshire.
Players can read Jeremy Chelot’s original post on X for his explanation of the congestion.
YouFibre Restores Normal Internet Speeds After Emergency Network Work
Thankfully, YouFibre managed to address the situation relatively quickly. Following its initial warning, the provider sent another email to customers confirming that its network team had completed the emergency traffic management work.
The company explained that its engineers had redistributed the additional network load across the wider infrastructure, allowing the service to return to normal.
However, there was still one small catch for players actively downloading GTA 6. YouFibre warned that customers could continue experiencing slower speeds while downloading the game because the download traffic was being prioritized during the network adjustments.
According to broadband industry publication thinkbroadband, the disruption lasted approximately an hour and was likely unnoticed by the majority of YouFibre customers.
That suggests the incident was relatively short-lived rather than a prolonged network failure. Nevertheless, it demonstrates how a major game release can create unexpected technical challenges for internet providers, especially when a significant number of customers begin downloading an enormous file simultaneously.
GTA 6 Also Breaks Virgin Media O2’s Broadband Traffic Records
YouFibre isn’t the only UK internet provider to notice the enormous demand surrounding GTA 6. Virgin Media O2 also reported record-breaking network activity on November 10 as players rushed to download the game ahead of its release.
According to the company’s November 11 announcement, GTA 6 pre-loading generated the highest-ever peak broadband traffic and daily data volume across its fixed broadband network.
The numbers are particularly interesting. Virgin Media O2 recorded a 51.6% increase in broadband traffic during the first hour of pre-loading, between midnight and 1 AM on November 10, compared to the same period on November 3.
By 9 AM, the total volume of downloaded data was already 73.3% higher than during the equivalent period the previous week.
The previous evening peak traffic record was also surpassed by 3.8%, beating the record established during the Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, total daily data volumes exceeded the previous record, set following the release of Fortnite Chapter 7 Mini Season, by 4%.
Unlike YouFibre, Virgin Media O2 did not report a network outage. Instead, the company highlighted how its infrastructure handled record levels of traffic during the game’s pre-loading period.
Virgin Media O2 CTO Jeanie York described the situation as a record-breaking moment for the company’s network, adding that it had prepared for the demand surrounding Rockstar’s highly anticipated release.
More information is available in Virgin Media O2’s official report on GTA 6 breaking its broadband traffic records.
GTA 6’s 212GB Download Is Putting Pressure on Internet Connections
One of the biggest reasons behind the sudden increase in network traffic is GTA 6’s enormous installation size. According to Rockstar Games’ official pre-load information, the game requires up to 212GB of available storage, depending on the platform.
For comparison, that’s considerably larger than many modern AAA releases, meaning players with slower internet connections could spend several hours downloading the game before it is ready to play.
Rockstar opened pre-loading on November 10, with PlayStation 5 downloads beginning at midnight local time and Xbox Series X|S downloads starting globally at 12 AM GMT.
The early download option is particularly important because players can install the game before launch rather than waiting until November 19. However, the enormous file size also means that millions of simultaneous downloads can create significant demand for internet infrastructure.
For anyone who hasn’t prepared their console yet, our GTA 6 pre-load guide covering the 212GB storage requirement and download schedule explains everything players need to know.
UK broadband comparison service Uswitch has also estimated how long the download could take across different parts of the country. Its research found that at the median recorded broadband speed of 71 Mbps, downloading a 212GB file could take more than six and a half hours under idealized continuous-download conditions.
In areas with particularly slow connections, the process could take considerably longer. Uswitch estimated that its slowest recorded location, Caistor in Lincolnshire, could require more than 52 hours to download the game at the area’s recorded median speed of 9 Mbps.
GTA 6’s Popularity Is Already Showing Before Its Release
The internet congestion is another indication of how much anticipation has built up around GTA 6. Rockstar’s next major release has been in development for years, and fans have spent more than a decade waiting for a proper successor to GTA 5.
The excitement has also translated into impressive pre-order estimates. According to Sensor Tower’s third-party tracking, GTA 6 reportedly reached approximately 9.69 million digital pre-orders before launch, potentially generating around $942 million in estimated revenue.
The majority of those estimated orders came from PlayStation 5 players, although Xbox Series X|S users have also contributed considerably to the game’s early performance.
For more details, check out our coverage of GTA 6 reportedly reaching 9.69 million pre-orders and surpassing Cyberpunk 2077’s milestone.
Rockstar has also been expanding its promotional activities ahead of release, with major merchandise collaborations and other marketing campaigns attracting further attention from fans.
Will GTA 6 Cause More Internet Problems on Launch Day?
With the pre-loading period already creating record network activity, some players might wonder whether internet providers will experience even greater problems when GTA 6 officially launches on November 19.
There is certainly potential for another traffic spike. Players who have already downloaded the game will be ready to launch it immediately, while others may still be completing their installations. Any additional launch-day updates could also create further demand.
However, the YouFibre incident shouldn’t automatically be treated as a warning that the entire UK internet infrastructure will struggle when GTA 6 arrives. The congestion was localized, lasted approximately an hour, and was addressed through traffic management. Virgin Media O2 also demonstrated that its network could handle record download activity without reporting similar disruption.
For players, the safest option is still to download GTA 6 as early as possible rather than waiting until launch day. Those with slower broadband connections should also make sure they have sufficient console storage and check that automatic downloads are enabled.
After years of waiting, the last thing anyone wants is to spend the first few hours of GTA 6’s release watching a download progress bar. Rockstar’s pre-loading system is designed to help avoid exactly that problem, although the latest YouFibre incident shows that even getting the game onto consoles can create some unexpected challenges.
With GTA 6 arriving on November 19, 2026, internet providers across the UK will likely be keeping a close eye on network traffic as players prepare to explore Leonida.
