Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the most hotly anticipated games of the year, will cost $79.99 for the standard edition when it launches November 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, Rockstar Games announced June 24. A premium “Ultimate Edition” will sell for $99.99, including additional in-game items such as vehicles, weapons, and outfits. The pricing represents a $10 increase over the typical $70 price tag for major blockbuster titles.
Rockstar said that physical copies of the game will contain a code for a digital download inside the box rather than a disc. Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said the price for the standard edition was “fairly reasonable” but noted the lack of a disc may “irk some physical collectors.” She added the decision made sense from Rockstar’s perspective, “as it reduces the amount of rebuying and reselling and helps prevent leaks.”
Following the reveal, some fans questioned the point of purchasing a physical copy without a disc and whether they would be able to resell the game or share the code. Hood said the price may set a new standard for big-budget games. “The price of game production has been increasing and if GTA 6 can lead the charge for a price increase that is palatable for players, it’s likely other studios will follow suit,” she said.
Joost van Dreunen, a professor of games business at NYU Stern, called the pricing a “clever strategy” by Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two. “Take-Two is catering to the largest possible audience while offering die-hards an upgraded tier,” he said.
Pre-orders for GTA 6 open at midnight local time on June 25. Players who pre-order digital versions will be able to begin pre-loading the game on their consoles starting November 12, Rockstar said. The physical version will also be available starting November 12 to support pre-loading.
GTA 6 has been a long time in development. The previous entry in the franchise, GTA 5, launched in 2013 at $59.99 for the standard edition and has sold nearly 230 million copies, generating billions of dollars for Rockstar. Rockstar confirmed it was working on GTA 6 in February 2022, but the project was delayed after a hack leaked assets from the work-in-progress title. Its launch date was pushed back again in late 2025 to November 2026. The company has also faced internal pressures, with some staff at Rockstar North, its Edinburgh headquarters, claiming Rockstar tried to stop staff unionising by sacking them.
The sixth game in the franchise will feature its first ever playable female protagonist in a 3D setting — Lucia — alongside her partner in life and crime, Jason, as a second playable character.