Rockstar Games confirmed Thursday that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will open June 25, ending months of unconfirmed retailer leaks and speculation. The announcement, confirmed in an official Rockstar Newswire post, included the game’s first official cover art and a short clip of Vice City.
The post read: “Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will officially begin on June 25 on digital storefronts and at other select retailers.”
Pricing, editions and pre-order bonuses remain unannounced and are expected to be clarified when pre-orders open. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reaffirmed the November 19 release date last month, and Thursday’s announcement is the clearest signal yet that the date will hold.
Cover Art
The artwork follows the illustrated panel style Rockstar has used on every mainline Grand Theft Auto cover since 2001. Protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos sit at the center of the cover, framed by surrounding panels depicting motorcycles, sports cars, a speedboat, a heavily armed helicopter, supporting characters Boobie Ike and Raul Bautista, palm trees, an alligator and the Vice City skyline. A helicopter sits in the top-left corner, a detail present on nearly every GTA cover since the franchise began the tradition 25 years ago.
The cover art is available as a free download from Rockstar’s website.
New Footage
Rockstar also added a short clip of Vice City to its website — the first new footage since Trailer 2 released in May 2025. No new full trailer was released alongside the announcement. A new trailer could follow once marketing ramps up further, though Rockstar has not announced a date.
Price Still Unknown
As of Friday, Rockstar has not disclosed a price. Analysts have estimated a standard edition between $70 and $80. Zelnick has only said publicly that the company aims to “charge way, way less” than the value it delivers, without naming a figure.
The Road to This Announcement
Thursday’s reveal follows months of false starts. A Best Buy affiliate email reported in May pointed to a May 18 pre-order window that never materialized. That speculation was confirmed to be another false alarm after Zelnick addressed it, saying he was uncertain where the rumor originated and noting that pre-orders typically begin alongside marketing campaigns. Thursday’s announcement, by contrast, came directly from Rockstar’s own verified channels with a specific date attached.
Inflated Unofficial Listings Circulating
Third-party resale sites have listed unofficial GTA 6 “pre-orders” at inflated prices, despite no legitimate pre-order channel being open yet. Rockstar has not authorized any pre-order through resale marketplaces. Official pre-orders are expected to open through digital storefronts and select retailers starting June 25, as stated in Rockstar’s announcement.
Platforms
GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. No PC version has been announced. Zelnick has said Rockstar’s console-first approach reflects the studio’s focus on serving its core console audience before PC players. Players still on PS4 will need to upgrade to PS5 before launch, as there is no PS4 version planned.
