The GTA 6 preload helped drive internet traffic to a record at DE-CIX Frankfurt, according to Germany’s embassy in London. In a November 13 post, the embassy highlighted a peak of 22.3 terabits per second on November 10, the day preloading opened.

When traffic peaked

DE-CIX chart showing Frankfurt’s 22.3 terabit-per-second peak
DE-CIX chart showing Frankfurt’s 22.3 terabit-per-second peak · DE-CIX / German Embassy London

The graph shared by the embassy shows 19:20 UTC, or 8:20 pm in Frankfurt and 4:20 pm in Brasília. DE-CIX is an exchange where different networks pass data to one another. The figure measures all traffic through that exchange at the peak. The embassy credited GTA 6 with contributing to the surge without putting a number on the game's share.

Why traffic rose before release day

Preloading lets digital buyers download the files before the game unlocks on November 19. Frankfurt was one of several places to see a surge, with the UK’s Virgin Media also reporting a spike during the preload.