When is GTA 6 coming out?
The latest installment in Rockstar's flagship Grand Theft Auto franchise, GTA 6, is poised to be the biggest game launch of the year. Rockstar has announced that GTA 6 will be released on 19 November, with pre-orders opening on 25 June. This release date appears definitive after two prior delays, initially from autumn 2025 and later from May 2026.
In a statement regarding the second delay, Rockstar explained that additional time was necessary to complete the game with the level of polish that fans have come to "expect and deserve."
How much will GTA 6 cost and what can I play it on?
GTA 6 will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles. There is currently no information about a PC release or availability on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have not yet announced the game's price. Pricing details are expected to be revealed when pre-orders begin in late June.
Industry analysts speculate that GTA 6 could be among the first blockbuster games to be priced at $100 (£76), reflecting a trend of increasing prices for major game releases.
What is GTA 6 about, where is it set and who are its main characters?
GTA 6 will introduce its first playable female protagonist, Lucia, alongside her partner in life and crime, Jason, who is also a playable character. The storyline, as depicted in two gameplay trailers, follows the duo in a Bonnie and Clyde-style narrative through the criminal underworld of America after an "easy score goes wrong."
The game is set in the fictional US state of Leonida, Rockstar's interpretation of Florida. Vice City, the franchise's Miami-inspired setting featured in Grand Theft Auto IV, will serve as the main city within Leonida.
Rockstar revealed GTA 6's cover art on 18 June, which includes thematic elements such as alligators and flamingos, nodding to the game's Floridian setting.
Where can I pre-order it?
Pre-orders for GTA 6 will open on Thursday, 25 June. The game will be available for pre-order through digital storefronts and select retailers. Since the initial release platforms are PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game can be added to wishlists on the respective PlayStation and Xbox online stores.
How long has Rockstar taken to make GTA 6?
GTA 6 has been in development for several years. The previous main series installment, GTA 5, was released in September 2013 and quickly became the best-selling game of all time. It is unclear if Rockstar has been working on GTA 6 continuously since then, as the company also released Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018.
Rockstar officially confirmed development of the sixth game in February 2022. The extended development period is attributed to rising production costs and the pressure to meet the high expectations set by the franchise's legacy.
Several months after the confirmation, unauthorized footage and images leaked following a cyberattack by teenage hackers targeting Rockstar. Additionally, the company has faced internal challenges, including allegations of "union-busting" by former employees at Rockstar North, its Edinburgh headquarters, where developers have been working intensively to complete GTA 6 for its November release.
Why is there so much excitement about it?
The Grand Theft Auto franchise is one of the most successful and lucrative entertainment properties in history. GTA 5 has sold nearly 230 million copies, ranking it among the best-selling games ever and generating billions in revenue for Rockstar.
The series is renowned for its sandbox gameplay, allowing players extensive freedom to explore and interact with the game world, often pushing boundaries and sometimes courting controversy. This approach has earned the franchise acclaim as a leading example of interactive entertainment.
Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said each entry in the series "continued to push technical and gameplay boundaries", with GTA Online helping to "pioneer the live service model as we know it".
She added that the games were also "extremely culturally relevant" too.
"Rockstar has always had its finger on the pulse of music, entertainment, societal, political, celebrity, and online culture trends, and they've never shied away from satirising these things in GTA games," she said.
Speculation about how GTA 6 will surpass the enormous success of its predecessor has generated significant anticipation. Every new piece of information, regardless of size, has been met with widespread excitement.
To date, the two gameplay trailers for GTA 6 have amassed a combined total of 446 million views.
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