Pre-orders for the highly anticipated video game, Grand Theft Auto VI, commenced at midnight on Thursday, requiring gamers to make a significant upfront payment before immersing themselves in the virtual chaos set in a fictionalized version of Florida.
Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive Software are maintaining a global release date of Nov. 19 for this open-world action adventure crime drama, designed for the Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles, following several delays.
The standard edition is priced at $109.99 Cdn ($80 US), surpassing the usual flagship game cost of $89.99. Some of Nintendo’s key releases for the Switch 2 console, like Mario Kart World, are also priced at the same level.
For a higher price of $139.99 Cdn ($100 US), players can opt for the Ultimate Edition, which offers various in-game extras such as 1980s-themed costumes and cars. This edition also grants access to exclusive in-game shops where players can purchase additional content like outfits, hairstyles, and tattoos for the main characters Lucia and Jason. Rockstar has yet to clarify if these shops will use in-game currency, real-world money, or a combination of both.
Despite pre-ordering the game, players cannot play before the official release date of Nov. 19, which is a common practice for early buyers. Additionally, those who purchase physical copies will receive a code to download the game onto their consoles instead of a physical disc.
Take-Two’s shares saw a nearly three percent rise in pre-market trading on Wednesday. Joost van Dreunen, a games professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, believes that the pricing will not deter sales and may set a new standard for major titles, widening the gap between top-tier and mid-tier publishers.
Grand Theft Auto V, the previous entry in the series released in 2013, has sold approximately 230 million copies, establishing itself as one of the best-selling video games. Rockstar has continually updated the game and its GTA Online mode, reportedly earning the company $1 million US in revenue daily.
The upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI is described by Rockstar as a “single-player experience,” indicating no initial multiplayer content. However, pre-orders will include a free one-month subscription to GTA+, their premium plan for GTA Online.
Rockstar has released two trailers since December 2023, offering glimpses of the game’s setting and characters but withholding details about actual gameplay visuals like maps and menus. Online fan and influencer accounts have attempted to fill this gap with speculative content, including falsified or AI-generated videos claiming to show leaked gameplay footage.
Rockstar is currently involved in an employment tribunal in the U.K. after dismissing 34 employees in the U.K. and Canada, a move criticized as union-busting. The tribunal recently rejected Rockstar’s request to dismiss claims alleging employee blacklisting.
