GTA 6 pre-orders are ‘unprecedented and astonishing’ – but CEO warns sales may tell a different story
Take-Two’s CEO has poured cold water on GTA 6 sales expectations
🤔 Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick described GTA 6 pre-orders as “unprecedented and astonishing,” though he cautioned that these may not guarantee future sales
💰 Rockstar has priced the standard edition at $79.99 and an Ultimate Edition at $99.99, which Zelnick defends as fair pricing given consumer demand
💿 The game’s physical release is controversial, as it ships with a download code instead of a disc, a trend mirrored by Sony’s plan to cease PlayStation disc production by 2028
🔒 Additional marketing strategies include airing the third GTA 6 trailer exclusively on Netflix, marking a unique approach for a high-profile game launch
GTA 6 seems to be off to a flying start ahead of its November 19 release, as its publisher Take-Two has revealed that pre-orders for Rockstar’s upcoming game have been “unprecedented and astonishing”.
During a call with analysts (thanks, Variety), Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said that GTA 6 has had “exceptional start to pre-orders,” which were only recorded for five days during the sales quarter of April 1 to June 30.
However, despite this, Zelnick isn’t getting carried away, as he notes that pre-orders do not always result in actual sales.
“I can say that the level of pre-orders is unprecedented and astonishing, and we’re very grateful for that,” Zelnick said. “But they are so unprecedented that we just don’t know how it’ll translate into sales, which is a question I answered earlier. We genuinely don’t, and we just don’t believe in claiming victory before it occurs.”
Rockstar finally opened pre-orders for GTA 6 on June 25 and revealed the game would cost $79.99 instead of the usual $69.99. An Ultimate Edition of the game was also announced that includes exclusive content for $99.99.
With some analysts believing that Rockstar should have charged more, and with no GTA 6 Collector’s Edition announced, Zelnick believes the pricing for the game is fair, even if it is more expensive than we’re used to.
“I think that Rockstar got it right in terms of the pricing of this standard edition and the pricing of the deluxe edition, and I think there’s no doubt that consumers are really excited about both,” Zelnick said on Friday. “And I think depending on your own ability to pay and how avid a consumer you are, you can choose between them. But the pre-orders have been exceptional, and we’re happy with the mix as well.”
GTA 6 has already been a controversial release, as physical copies do not include a disc. Instead, a download code is included. The move was shortly followed by Sony announcing that it would cease disc production for PlayStation games in January 2028, with warnings even now found on the box of PS5 consoles with a disc drive.
Rockstar has also announced that GTA 6 trailer 3 will air exclusively on Netflix, which requires a subscription. An extended look at the game will come to YouTube later, but it’s another first for a video game that is highly expected to break previous retail records.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.