After more than twelve years, two delays, and what is reportedly the most expensive video game ever made, there’s a Grand Theft Auto VI-shaped light at the end of the tunnel. Pre-orders for Rockstar's long-awaited open-world behemoth begin tomorrow across the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store – and as expected, it’s sending the franchise’s most loyal fans into a timely frenzy.
Of course, the release date has been locked into November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S since the last batch of delays towards the end of 2025. Fans, whilst frustrated, understood. As digital stores don't usually allow pre-orders until a game is within twelve months of launch, the pre-orders are a welcome sign that fans won't be asked to absorb a third delay.
Originally slated for a 2025 release, GTA VI is expected to be “the most extraordinary title anyone’s ever seen in the history of entertainment,” according to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.
The level of detail throughout the fictitious state of Leonida (and the return to fan-favourite Vice City) will be immense, with an open-world map rumoured to be anywhere between two and three times the size of GTA V, estimated at around 220 km².
And now, for the first time in the game's decade-plus development cycle, fans can actually do something other than wait. The only thing we’re still unsure of is the price. It’s already been a cause of concern.
Rumours have swirled for months that the game will launch well above $100, which would put it above the majority of current generation titles and potentially open the floodgates for other studios to follow suit.
As expected, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has remained tight-lipped, only saying that the eventual price will be "fair.”
All will be revealed tomorrow.
