If you’ve been counting down the days until Grand Theft Auto VI, the wait to hand over your money is almost over. Rockstar Games has announced that pre-orders for the highly anticipated game will begin at midnight local time on June 25.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The standard edition will cost $79.99, while the Ultimate Edition will sell for $99.99 and include additional vehicles, weapons, apparel, and other bonus content tied to the story of protagonists Jason and Lucia.
Anyone who pre-orders or purchases the game before November 20 will receive the Vintage Vice City Pack. Digital pre-orders will also include a free month of GTA+, which can be redeemed immediately and used with Grand Theft Auto V and other Rockstar titles included in the GTA+ Games Library.
Players who buy digitally will be able to preload the game beginning November 12. Oddly enough, those buying the physical version can also preload starting November 12 because the “physical” release isn’t really physical at all. According to Rockstar, the boxed version contains a download code rather than a game disc.
I’ll admit that news is disappointing. Part of the appeal of buying a physical game has always been actually owning a physical copy of the game. A box containing nothing more than a code feels a bit pointless. That said, I can understand the appeal for gift-givers. Wrapping a game box and putting it under a Christmas tree is a lot more exciting than handing someone a slip of paper with a download code scribbled on it.
As for the game itself, Rockstar says Grand Theft Auto VI will deliver the biggest and most immersive evolution of the franchise yet. The story takes players back to Vice City, where Jason and Lucia become entangled in a sprawling criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida after a seemingly easy score goes wrong.
Whether you’re planning to buy it digitally or pick up Rockstar’s code-in-a-box version, one thing is certain: Grand Theft Auto VI is shaping up to be one of the biggest game launches in recent memory.
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