News from the coast
Every card links to its source. Official news carries a teal stamp, rumours an orange one.
-
A boxed PS5 copy turns up early
On 7 November, Kotaku reported on a photo of a sealed PS5 copy of GTA VI, posted by someone said to work at a German retailer. The post and the account were deleted soon after. The box matches what Rockstar announced: it holds a download code instead of a disc, so installing needs an internet connection. An early box does not mean early play. The game unlocks on 19 November, and boxed copies reach stores on 12 November.
Reported
-
Rockstar shares a launch gallery
Two weeks before release, Rockstar published 39 new screenshots, all without captions. They show Jason and Lucia, nightlife, chases, diving and wildlife. Below are six of the places, picked so they give nothing away. The other 33, including all the pictures of Jason, Lucia and new faces, are on Rockstar's site; some of those may hint at story scenes.
Official
-
A free printable map of Leonida at launch
From 19 November, Rockstar offers a printable map of Leonida and a poster of the cover art for free on its website. A double-sided printed version follows in the Rockstar Store shortly after launch, for $0.99 or free with any purchase there. It is separate from the souvenir map in the collector's box.
Official
-
GTA 6 unlocks at midnight local time
Rockstar releases GTA VI region by region at midnight local time on 19 November. New Zealand goes first, at 11:00 UTC on 18 November, and Mexico and Central America go last. Germany and most of central Europe unlock at 00:00, the UK at 00:00 GMT, and the US and Canada together at midnight Eastern, which is 9 p.m. on 18 November on the West Coast.
Official
-
Pre-load moves up to 10 November
Rockstar has moved the digital pre-load forward by two days. On PS5 it opens at midnight local time on 10 November. On Xbox Series X|S it opens at the same moment worldwide, 00:00 GMT, which is 7 p.m. ET on 9 November. Rockstar asks for up to 212 GB of free space, depending on the console. Pre-loading does not unlock the game early, and boxed copies with a download code reach stores on 12 November.
Official
-
Justice score GTA VI
Rockstar announced Grand Theft Auto VI: Original Score by the French duo Justice. The 30-track album comes out on 11 December 2026 on streaming services, CD and vinyl. It is separate from GTA VI: The Album with the songs from the game.
Official
-
The launch trailer is out
Rockstar released its last trailer before release. Digital pre-loads open on 12 November. Update, 3 November: the pre-load now starts on 10 November.
Official
-
Bloomberg: Rockstar has nearly doubled in size
According to Bloomberg, Rockstar grew from about 2,400 to more than 4,700 staff across 12 offices while making GTA VI, and opened a Los Angeles studio just for the game's pedestrians.
Reported
-
Take-Two reports on 9 November
Rockstar's parent company publishes its next quarterly results ten days before launch. Expect new numbers on pre-orders and sales hopes.
Official
-
PC version in early 2027?
A report citing four anonymous sources points to the first quarter of 2027. Rockstar has not commented.
Rumour
-
Six radio stations revealed
Rockstar previewed Cocoteo, Back Country, AfroBank FM, The Chamber, Flash FM and Dirty South Classics. More stations, from classic rock to talk radio, and podcasts are in the game.
Official
-
Rated M for Mature in the US
The ESRB rates GTA VI M for Mature and flags in-game purchases. Ratings for Germany and Europe are covered in Everything we know.
Official
-
The Miami HEAT become Vice City for a night
On 18 November, the eve of release, the Miami HEAT play the Milwaukee Bucks as Vice City, on a court built for that one game and in new uniforms. Tip-off is 7 p.m. ET at the Kaseya Center, shown on ESPN. A Vice City clothing line is on sale at the HEAT Store.
Official
-
Game Informer: hurricanes, 170 animals and a new wanted system
In Game Informer's cover story, Rockstar talks about local weather including hurricanes and more than 170 animal species. In interviews, Rockstar also explained that police only come after witnesses or alarms. We know the cover story through summaries.
Reported
-
The collector's box includes a map of Leonida
The Goodtime State Vice City Collection comes with a double-sided souvenir poster that shows a map of Leonida. The game is not included in the box.
Official
-
GTA VI: The Album arrives with the game
34 original tracks on 19 November, digital, on CD and on vinyl. Singles so far include Travis Scott, Cardi B, Morgan Wallen and Keith Richards. Justice wrote the score.
Official
-
Two limited-edition DualSense controllers
Sony showed a black and a white GTA VI DualSense for 84.99 dollars or euros. Both come out on 19 November.
Official
-
How big is Leonida?
After a studio visit, a YouTuber passed on that the map is about twice the size of GTA V. Rockstar has not published a figure.
Rumour
-
An extended look premiered
Rockstar showed PS5 in-game footage, first on Netflix and a few hours later on YouTube and its own site.
Official
-
An extended look is coming to Netflix
Rockstar announced a longer look at the game for 27 August, premiering on Netflix before YouTube.
Official
-
Pre-orders are open
Standard and Ultimate Edition are up for pre-order. Boxed copies hold a download code instead of a disc.
Official
-
Boxed copies come without a disc
The physical Standard Edition holds a download code, not a disc. Standard costs 79.99 and Ultimate 99.99 dollars or euros.
Official
-
Early buyers get the Vintage Vice City Pack
Buying before 20 November adds the Vintage Vice City Pack, which includes the ’55 Vapid Stanier. Digital pre-orders also come with a month of GTA+.
Official
-
The cover art is out
Rockstar revealed the official cover art and announced that pre-orders open on 25 June.
Official
-
New release date: 19 November 2026
Rockstar moved the launch from 26 May to 19 November 2026.
Official
-
Trailer 2 is out
The second trailer showed more of Jason and Lucia, and Rockstar shared a large set of screenshots with it.
Official