GTA 6 will cost £70 - and physical edition will not contain a disc
Image source, Rockstar Games
ByLaura Cress
Technology reporter
Updated 25 June 2026 00:20 BST
Grand Theft Auto 6, the latest instalment of Rockstar Games' biggest-ever franchise, will cost £69.99, with a more premium edition costing £89.99.
One of the most hotly anticipated games of the year, GTA 6 opened for pre-orders around the world at midnight local time, and is priced at $79.99 and $100 for its standard and premium versions in the US.
Rockstar said physical copies of the game will contain a code for a digital download for the game inside a box, rather than a disc.
Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said the price tag for the standard edition was "fairly reasonable" but said the lack of disc may "irk some physical collectors".
However, she added the decision made sense from Rockstar's point of view, "as it reduces the amount of rebuying and reselling and helps prevent leaks".
The game itself - which some analysts say could be the most expensive ever made - will be released on 19 November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Following the reveal, some fans, external questioned the point of purchasing a physical copy, if it did not contain a disc.
Others queried, external whether they would be able to re-sell the game after, as can be done with normal physical editions with a disc, or whether the code would be shareable.
Fans seemed less concerned by the price - a $10 increase for the standard edition compared to the typical $70 price tag for similarly-sized blockbuster games.
"$10 won't be such a big hit to consumers pockets, but I still hope $80 won't become the norm," posted one, external.
When it launched in 2013, GTA 5 cost $59.99 for the standard edition.
Joost van Dreunen, a professor of games business at NYU Stern said the pricing was a "clever strategy" by Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two.
"Take-Two is catering to the largest possible audience while offering die-hards an upgraded tier," he said.
Rockstar added that players who pre-order digital versions of the game will be able to begin pre-loading it on their consoles on November 12 to ensure they are able to play at launch.
The physical version of GTA 6 will also be available starting 12 November to support pre-loading.
The more expensive "Ultimate Edition" will include features such as more vehicles, weapons and outfits for the characters.
It has been a long and bumpy road to this point for Rockstar.
Fans have been hankering for a follow-up to GTA 5 after it was released back in 2013, and became one of the best-selling games of all time.
Rockstar confirmed it was working on GTA 6 in February 2022, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
But after it was hacked and assets from the work-in-progress title were leaked online, the company delayed its slated release window.
Its launch date was pushed back again in late 2025 to November 2026.
At the same time, the company has also faced internal pressures - with some staff at Rockstar North, its Edinburgh HQ, claiming it tried to stop staff unionising by sacking them.
Image source, Rockstar Games
GTA 5 has sold nearly 230 million copies, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Rockstar.
The sixth game in the franchise will feature its first ever playable female protagonist in a 3D setting - Lucia - alongside her partner in life and crime, Jason, as a second playable character.
The question of how much the game will cost has been hotly debated amongst fans and analysts in the build-up to the game's pre-order release.
Hood said the price may set a new standard for AAA or big-budget games.
"The price of game production has been increasing and if GTA 6 can lead the charge for a price increase that is palatable for players, it's likely other studios will follow suit," she said.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Rockstar Games has priced Grand Theft Auto 6 at £69.99 for its standard edition and £89.99 for a premium 'Ultimate Edition', with US pricing at $79.99 and $100 respectively. Physical copies will ship with a digital download code instead of a disc. The game launches 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders opened worldwide at midnight local time, with pre-loading available from 12 November. The standard edition represents a £10 increase over typical blockbuster pricing. Industry analysts see this as a deliberate two-tier strategy targeting both mainstream players and engaged fans, with the pricing potentially influencing industry standards for AAA games. The shift from discs to codes reflects publishers' aims to control secondary markets and protect unreleased content.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Image source, Rockstar Games
ByLaura Cress
Technology reporter
Updated 25 June 2026 00:20 BST
Grand Theft Auto 6, the latest instalment of Rockstar Games' biggest-ever franchise, will cost £69.99, with a more premium edition costing £89.99.
One of the most hotly anticipated games of the year, GTA 6 opened for pre-orders around the world at midnight local time, and is priced at $79.99 and $100 for its standard and premium versions in the US.
Rockstar said physical copies of the game will contain a code for a digital download for the game inside a box, rather than a disc.
Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said the price tag for the standard edition was "fairly reasonable" but said the lack of disc may "irk some physical collectors".
However, she added the decision made sense from Rockstar's point of view, "as it reduces the amount of rebuying and reselling and helps prevent leaks".
The game itself - which some analysts say could be the most expensive ever made - will be released on 19 November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Following the reveal, some fans, external questioned the point of purchasing a physical copy, if it did not contain a disc.
Others queried, external whether they would be able to re-sell the game after, as can be done with normal physical editions with a disc, or whether the code would be shareable.
Fans seemed less concerned by the price - a $10 increase for the standard edition compared to the typical $70 price tag for similarly-sized blockbuster games.
"$10 won't be such a big hit to consumers pockets, but I still hope $80 won't become the norm," posted one, external.
When it launched in 2013, GTA 5 cost $59.99 for the standard edition.
Joost van Dreunen, a professor of games business at NYU Stern said the pricing was a "clever strategy" by Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two.
"Take-Two is catering to the largest possible audience while offering die-hards an upgraded tier," he said.
Rockstar added that players who pre-order digital versions of the game will be able to begin pre-loading it on their consoles on November 12 to ensure they are able to play at launch.
The physical version of GTA 6 will also be available starting 12 November to support pre-loading.
The more expensive "Ultimate Edition" will include features such as more vehicles, weapons and outfits for the characters.
It has been a long and bumpy road to this point for Rockstar.
Fans have been hankering for a follow-up to GTA 5 after it was released back in 2013, and became one of the best-selling games of all time.
Rockstar confirmed it was working on GTA 6 in February 2022, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
But after it was hacked and assets from the work-in-progress title were leaked online, the company delayed its slated release window.
Its launch date was pushed back again in late 2025 to November 2026.
At the same time, the company has also faced internal pressures - with some staff at Rockstar North, its Edinburgh HQ, claiming it tried to stop staff unionising by sacking them.
Image source, Rockstar Games
GTA 5 has sold nearly 230 million copies, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Rockstar.
The sixth game in the franchise will feature its first ever playable female protagonist in a 3D setting - Lucia - alongside her partner in life and crime, Jason, as a second playable character.
The question of how much the game will cost has been hotly debated amongst fans and analysts in the build-up to the game's pre-order release.
Hood said the price may set a new standard for AAA or big-budget games.
"The price of game production has been increasing and if GTA 6 can lead the charge for a price increase that is palatable for players, it's likely other studios will follow suit," she said.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
GTA 6 costs £69.99 (standard) and £89.99 (premium), or $79.99 and $100 in the US Physical copies contain a digital download code, not a disc The game launches 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S Pre-loading begins 12 November for both digital and physical versions GTA 5 sold nearly 230 million copies since its 2013 release GTA 6 will feature the franchise's first playable female protagonist in a 3D setting, Lucia, alongside male character Jason The £10 price increase is 'fairly reasonable' The lack of disc may 'irk some physical collectors' The code-only approach makes 'sense from Rockstar's point of view' to reduce resale and prevent leaks The pricing strategy is 'clever' and caters to 'the largest possible audience while offering die-hards an upgraded tier' The price may set a new standard for AAA games and influence other studios
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch 19 November 2026 at £69.99 (standard) and £89.99 (premium edition), with $79.99 and $100 pricing in the US
- Physical copies contain a digital download code rather than a disc, allowing Rockstar to reduce resale and prevent leaks
- The game will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with pre-loading available from 12 November