Midnight struck on 25 June, and across the UK and around the world, gamers began locking in their pre-orders for the most anticipated game of the year: Grand Theft Auto 6. Rockstar's latest instalment in the blockbuster franchise, already the subject of two previous delays, is now set for a definitive launch on 19 November.
The path to release has been anything but smooth. The game was pushed back twice — first from autumn 2025, then from May 2026 — prompting Rockstar to issue a statement acknowledging that it needed extra months to deliver the level of polish fans had come to "expect and deserve." Now, with pre-orders open and a final date locked, the company is giving players the chance to pre-load the game from 12 November, ensuring they can jump straight into action at launch.
“GTA 6 pre-orders opened 25 June; game launches 19 November at £69.99 with no disc in physical editions.”
GTA 6 will arrive exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. There is no word yet on a PC version, nor on whether it will ever come to Nintendo Switch 2. The standard digital edition will cost £69.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the US, while an ultimate edition — bundled with extra vehicles and weapons — will set players back £89.99 and $99.99, respectively. Notably, physical copies will no longer contain a disc; instead, the box will include a code for a digital download.
Analysts believe the title could become the most expensive game ever made, with development costs estimated at more than $1bn (£866m). That eye-watering figure underscores the scale of what Rockstar is attempting: a return to the fictional state of Leonida, Rockstar's take on Florida, with Vice City — inspired by Miami — once again serving as the main urban playground.
For the first time in a 3D GTA game, players will control a female protagonist: Lucia, alongside her partner Jason, in what the trailers have described as a Bonnie and Clyde-style adventure that begins when "an easy score goes wrong." Whether an updated version of the wildly popular GTA Online will be ready at launch remains unconfirmed, though given the success of the online mode, analysts expect it to arrive eventually.
As the countdown to November begins, one question lingers: with the game priced at £70 and physical editions going disc-less, will this be the release that resets the industry's expectations — or tests the limits of what players are willing to pay?