GTA 5 roleplay server nopixel is nearly ready to show off its big GTA Online refresh, nopixel V, which was made in collaboration with Rockstar.

Nopixel creator Koil announced on August 13 in the server's official Discord, "Surprise! We are excited to show you what we've been working on, the hours poured into this project, and the journey that's about to start."

The lead developer shares that nopixel V's Closed Beta period begins for an exclusive group of players on September 8, so you'll soon have another distraction from the slow crescendo of GTA 6 paranoia as its November 19 launch date approaches.

Well… if you're eligible. Nopixel currently has a list of nearly 450 content creators and normal people with roleplay characters invited to nopixel V, which Koil calls "a full rebuild" in his Discord message. The creator goes on to explain nopixel V's refreshed "allowlist," in which "invites to nopixel V will roll out in phases. While the first phase of invites is nearly complete, it's just the first group. If you haven't received an invite yet, you haven't been ruled out."

"Over time, access will expand, including more phases of invites," Koil assures aspiring roleplayers. Previous versions of nopixel have stirred up ill will for charging server applicants for priority boosts, costing up to $500 for only 15 days of potential access, and offering extra roleplay character slots for a fee.

Koil doesn't mention the state of paid priority boosts in nopixel V, but it seems at least some things about nopixel's allow list are changing to be more inclusive. Koil says, "We're using this moment as a genuine reset and a fresh start for the nopixel whitelist. And for everyone on nopixel Public and nopixel 4.0, nothing changes. Both servers will remain active and supported. Everyone has a chance at a path in."

Meanwhile, Rockstar might be preparing a bigger renovation of GTA Online, or its online services in general. It acquired the mod team behind FiveM – the GTA 5 multiplayer mod that powers nopixel – back in 2023, and then it elected to collaborate on nopixel V after years of the server being just a fan project. Plus, nopixel V is coming to the proprietary Rockstar Games Launcher, which I think further indicates Rockstar wants you to think of its most popular mods as extensions of The Official Brand, rather than as unconfined experiments. It's trying to claim ownership over the online aspect of its own games.

I don't know whether that impulse comes from a need to stomp out fan-made competition, or as an easy way to invest in the longterm growth of the GTA brand outside of the firecracker release that will be GTA 6. Realistically, it's both, and simply by making me report the verifiable fact that nopixel V is "made alongside Rockstar," it's working.

With Grand Theft Auto 6 on the way, it's down to the community to bring back the best (and stupidest) thing about GTA Online.

A short while back, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that the Ultimate Edition of GTA 6 has sold more copies (despite the $100 price tag and all) than the cheaper version… and boy, has it.

Now, we know exactly how much, thanks to new reports from digital intelligence firm Sensor Tower (as per GamesIndustry.biz).

Apparently, a whopping 89% of pre-orders so far have been for the Ultimate Edition rather than the Standard Edition, which costs $80 – $20 less. The percentages are comparable across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, too: 88.5% on the former and 90% on the latter.

Those… are quite big figures, all things considered – even when you take into account what Zelnick said, that it "might be a reflection of the fact that the most avid consumers are the ones who are pre-ordering."

Karl Kontus, senior vice president and general manager of video game insights at Sensor Tower, finds it surprising, too, even though special editions "always tend to perform well during the preorder period."

According to Kontus, he's "never seen a 90% premium share before." He has seen 50% – but "typical premium shares for games tend to be at around 10–20%." While he sees the figure dropping over time for GTA 6, "it's likely it'll stay significantly above the industry standard" still.

Rockstar's long-awaited game is "very hard to forecast," though, "given it lives in a league of its own." That, it very much so does. "There is no benchmark for how this game will perform from here," as Kontus concludes.

But why is the Ultimate Edition doing so well now? There is, of course, the very reason that Zelnick gave – but Kontus also proposes another very simple one: the fact that the difference between $100 and $80 isn't all that much, considering all of the digital goodies you get if you opt for the pricier version of GTA 6… and, yeah, I suppose that makes sense.

I'm curious to see how GTA 6 does come its November 19 release, personally – and also to find out whether the split between the Ultimate Edition and Standard Edition's popularity stays the same or balances out by quite a bit.

GTA 6 fans don't "go around buying nerdy niche" games, indie says, so fellow devs don't really need to get out of Rockstar's way

In the leadup to GTA 6, I've got just one person on my mind: Lucia, the film noir protagonist. Anyone who has even casually played Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series will recognize the debt it owes to Hollywood. From Vice City's nods to Scarface, to the '90s urban crime dramas echoed in San Andreas and numerous Back to the Future references in GTA 5, the games' magnetic style has always felt cinematic.

The series' women also belong to a particular big‑screen lineage shaped by film noir: mysterious, morally grey, and narratively intriguing, embracing the qualities that made classic movie stars immortal. Yet they also inherit the genre's limitations, often functioning as accessories in male‑focused stories with little agency of their own.

As Lucia Caminos becomes the first substantial female lead in a main GTA instalment, the historic parallels between celluloid and console offer clues to where her journey might lead.

Light, camera, action

Mid‑20th‑century noir specialized in categorizing women. There's the femme fatale, a seductive catalyst who lures men into danger; the hustler living on the fringes whose autonomy was framed as threatening; and the good girl who represents a path out of the shadows.

These archetypes produced icons — the lethal calculation of Double Indemnity's Barbara Stanwyck, Rita Hayworth's charismatic Gilda, and Lauren Bacall's graceful edge in The Big Sleep — but they were also bound by the era's constraints. Made largely by men and shaped by strict censorship, noir demanded that female transgression be punished, limiting how complex these characters could truly become. Historically, noir women operate on the sidelines, and GTA has been no exception.

The series' 3D titles absorbed noir's gender patterns wholesale. GTA 3 frames Misty and Maria as stylish side characters: seductive silhouettes or kidnapped catalysts who motivate Claude without shaping the plot themselves.

Vice City exaggerates the femme fatale through Mercedes, a glamorous presence reminiscent of Kathleen Turner in 1981's Body Heat, albeit with less control. San Andreas' date choices offer a variety of different women, each of whom symbolise CJ's choices rather than drive their own arcs. They weren't bad by any means – these are characters who can be funny, thrilling, and ultimately memorable – GTA 3's Misty, thought to be named after the 1971 Clint Eastwood neo-noir Play Misty for Me, became an icon of the game through its advertising. However, as the series grew in scale, these character boundaries became more obvious.

The HD era unlocked the true potential of the GTA formula: vast cities buzzing with businesses, characters, and missions all ready to explore. There were never more possibilities for the player, but the women in the lives of the playable characters were slower to evolve. GTA 4's Mallorie and Kate show glimpses of depth and drive the plot forward significantly, but are ultimately there as foils or moral leverage for Niko. The fifth instalment has a significantly larger cast, but still fits in those broader archetypes.

Amanda and Tanisha are variations on the good girl, while Tracey's fame-hungry exploits are the catalyst for Michael's interventions. There was more personality, but still, these characters were part of the greater architecture rather than standing out on their own.

Not-so shaken or stirred

It's here that it becomes clear that the role of women in noir hasn't evolved as much in the games as it has in its cinematic inspiration. Femme fatales, hustlers, and good girl archetypes served the earlier games well, as they were immediately identifiable in games where graphical limitations meant broader storytelling beats. In a sense, they were historically accurate, given cinema's own issue with female characters. However, there have been evolutions on the big screen that could inspire the route ahead.

In recent decades, the femme fatale in particular has evolved – Kill Bill's blood-spattered bride needed no male assistance in taking out her revenge, while in the world of superhero movies you could argue Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and the various depictions of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman showed female characters who assisted the male lead while also have backstories and motivations of their own. The mystery, seduction, and strength of female noir characters doesn't preclude depth and independence, which is what makes Lucia's potential so exciting.

As a co‑protagonist, she can retain the charisma of crime movie heroines, but become a driving force for the narrative in a way no female character has done before in the series. The Florida setting evokes neo-noir hits like Out of Sight, Spring Breakers, and Zola, signalling a shift toward crime stories where women possess agency, humour, and substance. Lucia's presence forces Rockstar to rethink its long‑standing male perspective, opening space for a female character who isn't defined by how she destabilises men but by how she influences her own journey.

Empowered doesn't mean virtuous – this is still GTA. Lucia can be as messy, complex, and morally layered as her predecessors, showing female ambition that isn't punished and a character intriguing enough for players of every background. The walls of movie lovers the world over are adorned with posters of women who broke the mould and changed the way we saw things. If GTA 6 seeks to confirm itself as the world's biggest media franchise, offering a similar icon could be part of that masterplan.

GTA 6 fans don't "go around buying nerdy niche" games, indie says, so fellow devs don't really need to get out of Rockstar's way

The Max Payne 1 and 2 remake Remedy announced in 2022 and then barely acknowledged at all over the ensuing four years is definitely still happening, but the developer is relying on publisher Rockstar Games to provide more details.

Rockstar and original developer Remedy described their partnership while revealing the remake of the Y2K-noir shooters all those moons ago, with Rockstar founder Sam Houser saying in a press release at the time, "We are massive fans of the work the Remedy team has created over the years, and we can't wait to play these new versions." But he doesn't seem to have much to say beyond that, as Remedy now suggests during a recent financial Q&A session that it can't talk about Max Payne until Rockstar does.

The Remedy moderator addresses the virtual audience of investors, analysts, and media members present for the Q&A and acknowledges that they're all submitting "a lot of questions concerning Max Payne." Makes sense, it's been four years. Everyone wants to know what's going on with the remake as Remedy spits out other games – Alan Wake 2 and FBC: Firebreak both launched since the Max Payne remake's reveal, and Remedy announced the upcoming Control Resonant.

But the Remedy moderator explains that the developer's GTA 6-style silence on Max Payne comes from the fact that, "On that game, Rockstar Games is handling the publishing side. So we cannot comment on those questions."

Earlier in the financial presentation, CEO Jean-Charles Gaudechon reminded everyone, "We are a multi-project studio – Max Payne 1 and 2 remake remains in full production with Rockstar Games." It seems Remedy can't do much more than that, give confirmation. But maybe that's OK – the longer we wait for Max Payne news, the more time you have to practice your Max Payne face.

Max Payne's iconic mug came about because of its creator's university TTRPG club, but he got so "self-conscious" after the game's release that he had to change his hairstyle to remain incognito.

Believe it or not, GTA 6 is apparently seeing more Ultimate Edition copies selling pre-launch than those of the Standard Edition version – $100 price tag be damned.

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick confirms as much in a new interview with CNBC (available to listen to via YouTube), admitting that the Standard Edition (which costs $80) is not selling equally to the Ultimate (priced at a higher point of $100).

"Actually," says the executive, "it is skewing more to the premium edition." Zelnick explains that this might have to do with the Grand Theft Auto series' longtime fans.

According to the Take-Two lead, these fans are likely the folks who are opting for the more expensive version of GTA 6 – you know, commitment to Rockstar Games' beloved franchise and all that. "But that might be a reflection of the fact that the most avid consumers are the ones who are pre-ordering," as Zelnick puts it.

He also explains the difference between the Standard and Ultimate Editions of the game: "You get additional content" in the latter.

We do already know what this translates to: some digital goodies, but nothing that impacts gameplay, and sadly, no real-life collectibles. With that in mind, I'm honestly personally a bit surprised to learn that more Ultimate Edition pre-orders are going out than the Standard Edition, but I suppose Zelnick's point makes sense.

Fans have been waiting nearly 13 years for GTA 6 to hit the market, and nostalgia itself is no laughing matter.

I'm interested to see how this balance changes come the GTA 6 release, as well as its launch (that we all hope will happen) on PC – will it still favor the premium version?

Don't expect a GTA 6 discount anytime soon, says Take-Two CEO: "We preserved our pricing on Grand Theft Auto 5 for a very long time"

With EA officially private under Saudi ownership, Rockstar owner Take-Two is now comfortably the largest publicly traded game company in the US, as GamesBeat points out in a recent interview with T2 CEO Strauss Zelnick.

On this point, Zelnick says, "I don't love winning by attrition, but I'll take it."

Zelnick examines the landscape of the games industry, which has been rattled by ceaseless layoffs, record acquisitions, widespread cancellations, persistent funding droughts, and other systemic issues at all bands.

The EA takeover, for one, doesn't change much in Zelnick's mind. "I don't think EA becomes any less competitive from our point of view, and they have a great owner and they have a lot of other assets," he says. Some of those assets are notably expected to be cut loose, along with plenty of EA staff reportedly fearing layoffs, in the coming quarters.

"We assume that our competition is always aggressive and performing, and we're always running scared," Zelnick explains. "So I don't see any of that changing. We do think there are benefits to being a public company if you're transparent, which we are, and honest, which we are."

Zelnick, who's now 69 and notes he's "been running public companies since I was 29," suggests public companies don't have to be, and perhaps don't always deserve to be seen as, bad. A key strength of being on the stock market is, "when you're trading well, it can give you a currency with which to pursue accretive acquisitions, which we've done," he reasons.

"The people who hate running public companies are the people who hate telling the truth and showing up and doing the hardest thing and being compliant while they're at it," he argues. "That's not troublesome for us."

As it happens, Devolver Digital – a giant among indies, but a minnow to Take-Two – just announced plans to stop being a publicly traded company, arguing that the private life better serves its games.

Zelnick has less to say about the Xbox layoffs, which have seen multiple studios spun out, cut in half, or otherwise out valuable developers. "I don't feel comfortable commenting on Xbox's business, except [to] say that they're trusted and valued business partners [and] that I wish them well," he adds.

On the subject of staffing during this time of contraction, Zelnick sees Take-Two doing better than most.

"We've continued to be in growth mode more or less all of the time," he says. "We had some reductions in force around the Zynga acquisition. And we subsequently had some minor reductions in force, very selectively. But once again, we expect to be in growth mode creatively. We don't want to expand the size of our business footprint, but I think we will probably continue to expand the size of our creative footprint as we aim to deliver more hits to the marketplace."

Earlier this year, Zelnick claimed "big tech companies who laid off thousands of people and said it was because of AI were not telling the truth."

Through all the turmoil, games continue to come out and break through, and seemingly record pre-orders for GTA 6 would have you believe gaming is bigger than ever. A non-trivial chunk of Take-Two's valuation notably stems from confidence in GTA 6.

Zelnick pulls the camera all the way back to examine the roughly "2.5 billion people" who play video games. He thinks there are more gamers out there, and better ways to monetize 'em, too.

"I think we're scratching the surface still, both in terms of the size of the audience and the monetization of that audience," he argues. In a separate response, he adds, "I think there will be new formats, new form factors in the fullness of time. I don't think we've reached the creative or technical [peak of] aspects of the business."

With GTA 6 digital only, Take-Two boss says discs "don't really make sense" – "if you're already connected, who cares if you download digitally?"

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says there's more to come from GTA 6's marketing after the announcement of a limited-time Netflix extended trailer landed to a mixed reception.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.Biz, a presumably hungry Zelnick described the gameplay premiere as "one of the hors d'oeuvres." If you're feeling confused over what that means, exactly, he goes on to say "there's appetizers, main course, and dessert to follow."

Basically, the fancy Netflix preview is just the start, and there's more to look forward to between now and launch.

GTA 6's Extended Look landed with a mixed response for several reasons. There's hype for sure, as fans have been speculating when Trailer 3 would land since Trailer 2 dropped last year. But while a long-awaited glimpse at gameplay is welcome, it being locked to Netflix for 6 hours rubbed some the wrong way. Sure, it'll be on Rockstar's YouTube channel the very same day, but the idea of paying to watch it early still hasn't pleased everyone. Obviously, some don't mind, and others assume it'll quickly end up on social media anyway.

Elsewhere, GI.Biz did try to get some details from Zelnick about how much Netflix paid for the six-hour exclusive on GTA 6's gameplay premiere, though the Take-Two boss wasn't biting, calling the streaming provider "a great marketing partner for us, and distribution partner." He also calls the deal "a groundbreaking partnership that Rockstar arranged." Alright, Zelnick, keep your secrets.

Zelnick also wasn't saying much about GTA 6's "unprecedented and astonishing" pre-order sales. While everyone involved is "very encouraged," Zelnick has been keen to stress that the team isn't over the finish line yet.

"Nobody's ever seen anything like this before, at Take-Two or in the industry," he told analysts during the latest financial briefing. "One of the reasons we're not changing our guidance is, to be clear, we haven't sold one unit yet. You can cancel a pre-order. We're kind of allergic to victory laps round here, and we certainly don't do the victory lap before the event."

GTA 6 is set to release in November, though we're getting at least one bigger look this month.

As PS5 and Xbox prices endlessly balloon, Take-Two CEO says rising console costs are good for no one, but won't hurt the company as GTA 6 approaches.

As discussions continue about the price of GTA 6, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has explained that the company's goal isn't to maximize prices.

Speculation was rampant for a long time as to how much Rockstar Games would be charging for GTA 6, and some were even worried that it would end up as high as $100. However, we finally got the answer back in June when GTA 6 pre-orders opened up that Take-Two was going with the $80 price point that Mario Kart World breached last year when the Nintendo Switch 2 launched. But just like Nintendo, that $80 didn't suddenly become the new standard price for releases from the publisher.

During an investor Q&A, Zelnick is asked why GTA 6 was given the expanded price only for NBA 2K27 to announce it will be releasing at the standard $70 price when it launches in September. Zelnick explains: "We've said this many, many, many times. Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them." He adds that "the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago."

He explains, "to say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement, because Rockstar Games is known for over delivering." He cites that it's been 13 years after the launch of GTA Online and it's still bringing "record-setting engagements at times." Zelnick adds that the engagement is "our goal" and that "our goal is not to maximize price."

Zelnick also acknowledges that "given the hype around this title, I mean, I think we could have made any number of other pricing choices," but adds that "our focus is on delivering way, way, way more value than what we charge for something." And while "pre-orders are exceptional," he notes that "one thing we certainly don't do is take a victory lap before we run the event" as pre-orders can be cancelled.

Granted, analysts expect that GTA 6 will unsurprisingly have a strong launch, with it expected to make up to $5 billion within its first week.

After claiming GTA 6 devs have crunch "built into" their contracts, union says "first meeting with Rockstar management" was "a step in the right direction."

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick says that over 90% of the company's sales are digital, so physical discs for games like GTA 6 "don't really make sense for the consumer." Also, considering you have to "register online to play" in most cases anyway, "who cares if you download digitally?"

A lot of people, I imagine, but anyway. As part of Take-Two's latest financial briefing, an investor takes the opportunity to ask Zelnick about Sony's controversial decision to end disc production and its potential impact on the publisher's plans. While Zelnick declines to comment directly on Sony's decision, he offers some thoughts on how Take-Two is approaching the current state of physical media.

"Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed, as it's already a digital business," he says. "So, in certain instances, especially if it's a big game, discs – and note I said discs – don't really make sense for the consumer.

"Also, in most instances you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you're already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It's all the same and it's much more convenient. So that's where the world is going in our opinion, and I think Sony understands that. We certainly understand that."

While Zelnick appears pretty down on physical media, though, he goes on to stress that it doesn't mean Take-Two and the various game studios it owns are unlikely to ditch it entirely.

"That doesn't mean that we won't have physical editions now and then," he continues. "I'm sure we will in the same way that there's still vinyl in the recorded music business, but in other instances it just won't make sense."

The topic of physical media has been ringing around the industry of late. A large part of that comes down to Take-Two-owned Rockstar itself, which announced that boxed versions of GTA 6 will essentially be a code in a box at launch. That said, Nintendo's game-key cards certainly had their moment, and Sony's announcement that PlayStation discs for new games won't be available beyond January 2028 has been the biggest talking point on the topic lately. Hence the investor question.

As a result, the question has been put to other publishers and developers, too. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation lead Naoki Hamaguchi recently told us that conversations about what the RPG's offering will look like are still ongoing.

Similarly, Capcom also mentioned in an investor Q&A that the Resident Evil maker isn't that worried about what happens with physical, as 90% of their sales are digital, much like Take-Two.

On the whole, it paints a bleak picture for the future of physical media, as players' clear preference for digital is evident in the sales data, and publishers mostly offer a collective shrug at the topic. Still, the backlash is fierce, and movements like Stop Killing Games aim to ensure that the ownership issues that come with digital aren't merely brushed away. Watch this space.

Here's how to watch the GTA 6 extended look later this month.

You can put aside your fears of another GTA 6 delay, for now – Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is very confident that Rockstar Games is going to hit its release date of November 19, 2026.

After having been delayed a handful of times already and not really pulling back the curtain at all, GTA 6's November release date has been called into question by fans basically ever since it was announced. Even a former Grand Theft Auto 5 developer said he wouldn't be shocked to see the Rockstar juggernaut move once again, but it's not something the developer's parent company is worried about.

In today's Take-Two financial call, chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick reiterated that the company expects to grab net bookings of $8-8.2 billion in its 2027 fiscal year, "which reflects both ongoing positive trends in our business and our high degree of confidence around the November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto 6."

The head of Rockstar Games' owner repeatedly mentions GTA 6's November launch throughout the rest of the call, too: "Looking ahead, fiscal 2027 is on track to be a milestone year for our company, led by the release of Grand Theft Auto 6." There you have it.

Of course, anything is possible in game development (and the world at large) so it's not entirely impossible for GTA 6 to be pushed back again, but all signs are pointing toward the mammoth open world making it in time for November.

GTA 6 pre-orders are already open, for instance, and An Extended Look at the game is debuting on Netflix later this month. One would think a studio wouldn't kick off a big marketing push three months before launch if another delay was looking likely, after all.

After claiming GTA 6 devs have crunch "built into" their contracts, union says "first meeting with Rockstar management" was "a step in the right direction."

Folks, something is actually, finally happening – GTA 6 is getting its first extended look later this month.

As confirmed by Rockstar Games today, Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look will be dropping on Netflix, of all things, on August 27. It'll go live at 3pm ET – that's 12pm PT or 8PM BST – on the streaming service, before it comes to the Rockstar YouTube channel and website six hours later.

How long the video will be or what exactly it'll show remains to be seen, but right now, all that matters is that we're finally going to get a proper look at GTA 6, over a year since Trailer 2.

Many folks assumed that the pre-orders for GTA 6 going live in late June would be a good time for Rockstar to drop Trailer 3, but alas, that day came and went. It was already stated that the game's launch marketing would kick off properly in the summer, so some news was inevitable, but the devs have certainly kept us on our toes as to when.

And hey, if we're being treated with a nice, lengthy look at some long-awaited gameplay footage, then that seems like a very reasonable reward for our patience. It's been repeatedly stated that the game is truly on track for its November 19 release date, and with something like this on the horizon, hopefully even those who felt badly burned by the previous delays will feel somewhat reassured.

GTA 5 dev "can only imagine the size of GTA 6" – "It must be monstrous."

Something about the best GTA games dig into your brain. Whether it's the gleeful moments of parody that send up American crime classics, the freedom to go on a rampage across an open world urban sandbox, or little cinematic touches that remind you Rockstar's characters go beyond surface level, it's almost impossible to forget. And here, we're snitching on the best GTA moments, from the series' greatest heists to the pettiest robberies.

It's impressive in part because every Grand Theft Auto is huge. Even if you go back to the very first game on PS1, you'll find a sweeping, expansive ambition that remains incredibly moreish, your path through a city very much your own. And yet, so much sticks with you. As we barrel ever-closer to the launch of GTA 6, we've cracked the window on every game in the series in order to rummage through all those shiny memories, and stashed the best of the best in our trunk for you to look at.

This week, we've boosted more tantalizing picks to give you 40 of our full Top 100 below as we continue to look back on one of gaming's greatest series. But, let us know your favorites in the comments!

100-91

100. Taking Chop for a walk

Game: GTA 5
Released: 2013

Easily the strangest protagonist in GTA history – briefly controllable in single-player, and during a GTA Online Halloween event – Chop is a rottweiler notable for his loyalty in a game full of double-crossings. In fact, the only crossing he does is over the roads near the Clinton Residence should you throw his ball too far. His companionship is welcome when the plot starts blowing up, even if he's behaving badly because you didn't bother to train him via the iFruit app.

But go the other way and you can put plenty of time into building the bond between man and best friend, making sure that Franklin shows love and care to his stalwart companion. Ditch all the crime and take a trip down to Vespucci Beach where you can go for walkies and play fetch.

While some of GTA's detractors will call the series a hedonistic sandbox that brings out the worst in players, it's hard to believe that after we've spent a good hour hanging out with our canine pal. For as sinful as your GTA life can be, it can also be quite mindful. Why not put the weapons away, dutifully park your convertible, and hit the sands with Chop while you take in some digital sun?

99. Getting a call from your cousin Roman

Game: GTA 4
Released: 2008

"Niko! It's Roman. Let's go bowling." The phrase became notorious among Grand Theft Auto fans in the years following the fourth game's release – one of the truly enduring early game memes alongside the arrow to the knee and the cake being a lie. While writer Dan Houser later protested that those calls didn't happen nearly as often as players believed, they were new and significant – a calling card for a relationship system. An important step forward not just for this game, but for many others too. And you'd better enjoy bowling. Strike!

98. Watching an actual comedy set in Liberty City

Game: GTA 4
Released: 2008

Ricky Gervais appears at the Split Sides comedy club in Liberty City. Not someone we'd pay to see, but back on PS3 and Xbox 360 the idea of being able to actually drive to a club and take in a proper show was novel. It's an idea Rockstar has revisited a few times, most recently in Red Dead Redemption 2 where you can watch full theater performances that change every week night. What will we be able to watch in GTA 6?

97. Blasting your ice cream van's jingle

Game: GTA: Vice City
Released: 2002

In Rockstar Games' satirical take on Miami for GTA: Vice City, even the most innocent occupation is a paper-thin veneer concealing rampant corruption and criminality. So it proves when Tommy Vercetti buys the Cherry Popper Ice Cream Company (*sigh*), and discovers a burgeoning drug distribution operation. The juxtaposition of sing-song chimes with the sight of grown adults running from the sidewalks for their favourite white-coloured, tooth-wrecking fix remains one of the most grimly comic scenes in the entire series – which really is saying something.

96. Driving past Deliver Me Timbers

Game: GTA 4
Released: 2008

Just a straight-up great name for a company in the business of logging and logistics. You'll spot it on a passing van, and that's about it. A throwaway line, and funnier for it. If you ever needed proof that beyond the grim depiction of a world rife with crime is some very silly comedy, all you need to do is pay attention to the rich detail. No opportunity is missed for a chortle.

95. Discovering the coral reef

Game: GTA 5
Released: 2013

The act of hitting the ocean bed near Los Santos in your submersible might be driven purely by greed – as hazardous as it might be, nuclear waste fetches a high price, and that means more moolah to put towards your next field hangar or golf club. But once you're down there, you discover that some of Los Santos' beauty lies there, below sea level, brightly coloured and alien. It's the lone chunk of on-land coral reef, however, found halfway up a mountain, that has bewitched players – for nine years and counting.

94. Sniping the moon to change its size

Game: GTA 3
Released: 2001

Shoot for the moon, so the saying goes. In GTA 3 if you do, you won't land among the stars as the rest of the saying claims, but it will get bigger. It's a bizarre fact of life in Liberty City that presumably has dramatic knock-on tidal effects for the planet as a whole. But don't worry – snipe enough times and it'll return to its usual size. That this bizarre Easter egg was ever discovered is testament to the sheer amount of time bored teenagers spent in GTA 3, taking potshots at the scenery.

93. Taking the Pisswasser

Game: GTA 5
Released: 2013

Simple gags can be the greatest. 'Wasser' is German for water, and you can work out the rest. Cheap lager made for export, with the slogan 'You're in for a good time'. You're in. Yep. If that's not enough, you can even invest money in the company using Bawsaq (more on that later), and deck out sports cars with the logo like it's a racing sponsor.

92. Turning a GTA Online session into a Frank Ocean listening party thanks to Blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM

Game: GTA Online
Released: 2013

Frank Ocean and friends play spaced-out, soulful music that runs the gamut of contemporary genres, while riffing on the surrealism of GTA's casual ultraviolence between songs. Proof of Rockstar's cool, and evidence that smart curation is still a major part of this online sensation's backbone that makes it a world worth inhabiting and messing around in.

91. Watching Michael's movie at the cinema

Game: GTA 5
Released: 2013

The premiere of the film Michael 'produces', or rather enforces, over the course of GTA 5 goes awry on the red carpet, when another of its backers orders a hit on his family. That's Hollywood, baby, possibly even more vicious than a life of crime. But you can head back to the cinema at a later date and watch Meltdown in full. What you'll find are 11 and a half minutes of oddly watchable Wall Street pastiche, impossible car physics, and driving monkeys. And who said gaming isn't a storytelling medium?

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90. Attempting to steer in cinematic cam

Game: GTA 3-5
Released: 2001-2013

There are a couple of entertaining yet unusable camera options in GTA. There's the '90s-style top-down view that's a recipe for flipped vehicles, but best of all is the cinematic camera – a favourite feature of Rockstar North's co-founder and president Sam Houser, who was adamant that Grand Theft Auto should look and feel like the crime movies of his childhood. The view periodically switches between various cool and flattering angles, all pretty much guaranteeing a gnarly crash. The cinematic camera is the very definition of style over sense, which is classic GTA.

89. Knowing why Sex Club 7 is funny because you're a fan of '00s British pop

Game: GTA 3, GTA: Liberty City Stories
Released: 2005

You had to be living in the UK between the years of 1998 and 2003 to know why Liberty City's bunny girl-adorned club was naughty – it's a reference to post-Spice Girls pop group S Club 7. Grand Theft Auto is a pastiche of American pop culture, but plenty of tongue-in-cheek UK references get a look in too. Originally Paulie's Revue Bar, you see the Leones take it over as missions progress and Luigi Goterelli comes in as an owner. Guess he's a 'Bring It All Back' fan.

88. Becoming Ammu-Nation's top customer

Game: GTA 3
Released: 2001

Rockstar North's outsider perspective on the US has served it well, and you can't argue with this simple, damning jab at the country where there are 120 owned guns for every 100 citizens. Frequent visits to the shop over the years have become comfortable and familiar – which is worrying in its own way.

87. Hot Coffee

Game: GTA: San Andreas
Released: 2004

All it took was a fan combing files to find cut content to cause one of gaming's biggest-ever controversies. On the trail of unused animations, 'hot coffee' turned out to be a cartoonish sex minigame, in which CJ has to rhythmically spank his girlfriend to elicit maximum excitement. Chaos ensued as, though the mini-game was inaccessible to the casual player, the incomplete files had been buried on the disc rather than deleted outright. Many fingers were pointed, and Senator Hillary Clinton called for new legislation to ban the sale of violent and sexually explicit games to American children, with a $5,000 fine for retailers in breach of the law.

86. Getting really into talk radio

Game: GTA 3-5
Released: 2001

The nascent Rockstar North dabbled in surrealist comedy radio in GTA 2, but it was only when the series went 3D that it dedicated entire channels to the kind of weird, rambling dialogues you can hear on local phone-in shows in real life. Eventually, the madness seeps in, and you find yourself sitting quietly in a sedan as a mafioso vents about his overbearing mother. "I do a man's job and all," sighs Toni, "but she treats me like a little boy."

85. Any scene with Samuel L Jackson's Officer Tenpenny

Game: GTA: San Andreas
Released: 2004

For those too young for Pulp Fiction, Sam Jackson will always be villainous Officer Tenpenny: a gangster with a badge. He brings his screen presence into the digital role here, crafting a character you love to hate. This is one of the meatiest roles in the series for a celebrity.

84. Walking away from the Chainsaw Masquerade

Game: GTA: Liberty City Stories
Released: 2005

Manhunt was a recent memory when Liberty City Stories came out, and there are a couple of creepy echoes during the latter's runtime. First, a character covertly films you taking out Sindacco goons so that he can use the footage in a snuff film. And second, Rockstar Leeds stages a survival horror showdown in the bowels of a cargo ship. The tension builds in the hollow vessel, until you're ambushed by baddies carrying more power tools than your local hardware store. Brr.

83. Thinking Heavenly Radio is a fantastic joke, then getting weirdly into it

Game: GTA 2
Released: 1999

The home of Hare Krishna conversion, and the only place playing "the sounds of whale love to help Saturn's moon squeeze through Neptune's tight red eye." Strange comedy that really helped to set the tongue-in-cheek comedy tone even before the series fully embraced 3D, classic GTA's radio stations oozed personality even with the generation's limitations.

82. Driving your 'Mini Cooper' wild in Hyde Park

Game: GTA: London
Released: 1999

By setting this early spin-off in a very specific time and place, Rockstar basically promised a playable Italian Job – and it delivered. The Myni, as it's called, may only be 135 pixels from its bonnet to its boot, but offers the best acceleration in the game. That's no small matter when yet another head-on collision takes away all your momentum.

Looking to test drive it? There's ample room at the centrally located Hyde Park, and the pigeons there present little resistance. It might seem quaint now, but the simple rendition of London was a joy to putter around in frenzied style, thanks in part to the design of UK cities, and also the novelty of having a game set in my home country for once. It'd be nice to have the series visit the UK again one day. God knows there isn't a lot more to lampoon now.

81. CJ goes cycling

Game: GTA 5
Released: 2013

Most series veterans quickly realised they were playing in CJ's backyard during the Hood Safari campaign mission of GTA 5, but few noticed him riding by on his BMX with Sweet and Big Smoke. It might not make sense as a canonically sound crossover, but it's a pretty neat nod to how far the series has come since the PS2 days.

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80. Building a 10x score multiplier

Game: Grand Theft Auto
Released: 1997

The oldest GTA games had a unique, often forgotten scoring system that's reminiscent of those in today's roguelikes. The more successive missions you completed, the higher your cash multiplier – massively increasing your chances of hitting the level goal and opening up a new city.

The twist? If you got arrested, your multiplier was halved. It was an arrangement that meant every high-stakes cop stand-off was navigated with sweaty palms. Get Outta Jail Free Cards were more valuable here than they ever were in Monopoly.

79. Getting fat as CJ

Game: GTA: San Andreas
Released: 2004

San Andreas introduced a surprising number of RPG-style stats that influenced protagonist CJ's abilities, but none was more visible than his weight. Though Carl began the game looking as trim as rapper Young Maylay, upon whose appearance his was based, he'd pile on the pounds if you sent him to Cluckin' Bell too regularly. Before long, running and jumping would become a problem, and life in Las Venturas started to feel like a lesson for those of us who'd spent too much time on the couch, lifting nothing heavier than a controller. As in real life, running and exercise machines would put him right.

78. Firing some rockets at Buckingham Palace

Game: GTA: London
Released: 1999

There was no reward for messing up sacred British establishments in GTA: London – the buildings were no more destructible back then than they are in the series today. But the mere presence of Her Maj's digs in a hedonistic videogame prompted transgressive acts, particularly when that videogame handed you a bazooka.

Sadly, Grand Theft Auto hasn't returned to London in its 3D era, but Watch Dogs: Legion is on standby should you feel the need to launch any more missiles outside the windows of the royals.

77. CJ meets Claude

Game: GTA: San Andreas
Released: 2004

GTA 3's central betrayal is foreshadowed in a race through the woods. Unsurprisingly for a mute protagonist, Claude lets Catalina do the talking during the encounter, then heads for Liberty City. This takes place in the '90s, remember, so the gruelling journey that's to come for Claude is still on the horizon, and provides an extra glimpse into Claude and Catalina's soon-to-be-troubled relationship.

76. Lamar picks you up from the airport

Game: GTA Online
Released: 2013

Those who played GTA Online as a male character missed out on a standout appearance from Los Santos' funniest resident. Should you be playing a female character, Franklin's foil and all-round-clown Lamar Davis shows up at Arrivals to greet you with a single red rose, only to realise within seconds that this online relationship isn't going to go the way he'd hoped. A mute protagonist gives GTA 5's biggest talker more space than ever to run his mouth, and without Franklin to keep him in check, things swiftly get daft. But romance is not on the cards.

75. Drive the bus fast or it'll blow

Game: Grand Theft Auto
Released: 1997

The coach looks innocuous enough, parked in a New Jersey-like area of Liberty City. It could almost be ready for a party of daytripping pensioners. Hop inside, though, and you'll discover a terrifying tribute to Speed, the 1994 Keanu Reeves film in which police desperately try to defuse a bomb on a bus that will detonate if the vehicle's speed drops below 50 miles per hour. Keeping up the pace while your pals work to disable the radio receiver is no mean feat in top-down streets with little warning about the traffic coming up ahead.

74. Finding the ElectroGun

Game: GTA 2
Released: 1999

The second GTA actually falls under the definition of science fiction, being set in a near future when US cities are battlegrounds for ruthless pharmaceutical companies and clone-makers. You could be forgiven for forgetting that fact while carjacking and machine-gunning your way through the game in the usual fashion, but the ElectroGun provides a jolting reminder that this is not the world you know. Aiming is tough in GTA 2, and so chain lightning is a welcome tool… which leaves fizzing, prone skeletons in its wake. Dystopian.

73. Buying a high-end apartment

Game: GTA Online
Released: 2013

While the series has long laughed at the quest for material gain that drives so much of US society, GTA Online has the goods to satisfy your soul if you covet flashy status symbols. And vehicles are not enough. No sports car is more aspirational than the Hollywood Hills mansions for sale on the Dynasty 8 website, and finally buying one after months of small-time crime feels like a real punctuation point. It helps that high-end apartments also unlock heists, the endgame activities that deliver the real meat of GTA Online's story.

72. Iggy Pop welcoming you to the big city

Game: GTA 4
Released: 2008

"Have a nice day sucking the corporate cock," says Iggy on Liberty Rock Radio. A year after GTA 4 he was starring in car insurance ads, but we'll let it slide. Even today, the grounded grime of this PS3 and Xbox 360 entry sticks out, and that includes how radio stations in this take on Liberty City are presented.

71. Getting a respray

Game: GTA (Series)
Released: 1997-2013

There's lots that doesn't make sense about the respray system in GTA. A quick paint job helps you avoid the consequences of your lawbreaking. But hang on, don't you need to change the number plates too? And how did the cops lose you when they saw you enter the garage? Ah, but those are mere details. You can't beat the palpable sense of relief as five stars vanish instantly – nor the sudden improvement in performance when a knackered ride's instantly restored to rude health with a lick of paint.

A bit of trivia for you: while the garages were later called Pay 'n' Spray, in GTA 2 they were named Max Paynt.

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70. Crashing head-first through the windshield

Game: GTA 4
Released: 2008

GTA 4's leap toward greater realism was a shock most deeply felt in its driving model. Less Driver and more Gran Turismo, it punished you for trying to take a corner at breakneck speed – often by, well, breaking your neck. Seeing your car's momentum transferred straight to Niko, who was hurled through the glass and against the scenery, was a traumatic moment for many in their first days with next-gen GTA. The harsh experience certainly taught us a lesson, though.

69. Hearing Billie Jean playing on the radio

Game: GTA: Vice City
Released: 2002

Contrary to popular belief, Vice City wasn't the first GTA game to feature licensed music on its radio – that was GTA: London, whose soundtrack was stuffed with period reggae. But newly flush with cash, Rockstar made a statement by filling Vice City with big-name artists, including MJ. The game introduced teenagers of the early noughties to the king of pop's trademark shuffle, and set the stage for a place where pastel suits weren't just accepted, they were encouraged.

68. Rubbing shoulders with Dr Dre

Game: GTA Online
Released: 2013

San Andreas made g-funk interactive, so it's no surprise Rockstar is into Dre, but it was still a shock to see him crop up in the Cayo Perico Heist. Then, in The Contract, he enlists you to help recover stolen music. Makes a change from stealing Mad Dogg's rap book, that's for sure.

67. Grand Theft Auto is condemned in the House Of Lords

Game: Grand Theft Auto
Released: 1997

Grand Theft Auto was declared a public menace before the series even began, and that's just how its creators planned it. The marketing team at BMG Interactive hired Max Clifford, the notorious publicist later found guilty of indecent assault, who at the time was famous for feeding stories to the UK tabloid press.

The decision was unconventional for a games company, and worried the owner of GTA's developer, David Jones, but future Rockstar head Sam Houser was keen to make a splash and show that Grand Theft Auto was no child's toy.

Clifford whispered in the ear of the elite, and within three months Grand Theft Auto had infiltrated the wood-paneled walls of the British establishment. On 20 May 1997 a former Scottish Secretary spoke in the House Of Lords about a shocking new game made in his country that featured hit-and-runs and police chases. "There would be nothing to stop children from buying it," said Lord Campbell of Croy. "We simply cannot allow children and young people to be given the idea that car crime or joyriding is in any way an acceptable or an enjoyable thing to do." He called on the BBFC to look into whether GTA should be legal to release.

After that, the free promotion rolled in. The Daily Mail claimed GTA would include "illegal alien assassination"; the Scottish Motor Trade Association said the game would "make children think it is okay to rob cars and kill." BMG's marketers, meanwhile, pulled clips from the House Of Lords debate for its radio ad campaign, capitalising on the image of GTA as something illicit, outrageous, and therefore essential.

The BBFC ultimately ruled that although GTA's subject matter was unprecedented, it wouldn't be banned. And ironically, the concern over members of the public getting their hands on the game ensured that they did, to the tune of 500,000 copies sold. GTA cost a million pounds to make, and had soon made £25 million, ensuring a sequel. Though GTA's notoriety would cause more problems later, that controversy was also the making of the series.

66. Becoming a drug lord

Game: GTA: Chinatown Wars
Released: 2009

A young Sam Houser loved to play space trading game Elite as a "space mugger", and thus far, Chinatown Wars comes closest to recreating that formative experience. Though set on terra firma, Rockstar Leeds' handheld classic introduced a deep drug trading economy. The name of the game is buying low and selling high, travelling around top-down Liberty City to find the best bargains, while dodging police busts that could leave just-as-deep holes in your pockets. Proof GTA doesn't need scripted thrills to hold your attention.

65. Jumping across the incomplete Callahan Bridge

Game: GTA: Liberty City Stories
Released: 2005

Liberty City Stories takes place before the bombing of the Callahan Bridge in GTA 3, and so Rockstar needed another reason to block your progress to other islands. In 1998, the bridge is still under construction, and under protest by local ferry workers. You're cut off from Staunton Island until paranoid mafia boss Salvatore Leone decides to evacuate Portland and commands you to vault the gap in a speeding Sentinel. All together now: "Ohhhhh, shiiiiit!"

64. Officer Tenpenny's Grove Street death

Game: GTA: San Andreas
Released: 2004

Frank Tenpenny represented an early portrayal of police brutality against black communities in games – a corrupting force determined to keep the poor of San Andreas down, and to initiate others into his twisted way of thinking. He was also Rockstar's best baddie, and went out in a climactic fire truck crash over Grove Street. "50 of me and this town would be okay," he monologues while coughing up blood. "I took the trash out, and I'd do it all again."

63. Getting your first haircut

Game: GTA: San Andreas
Released: 2004

GTA 3 and Vice City didn't give you much to work with in the style department, their protagonists little more than quiffs on legs. But with San Andreas you could make a statement with your appearance, garnering respect and even sex appeal with a new afro or cornrows. It's one of many ways in which the game celebrated African American culture, during a period when major action game studios were still unwilling to step away from buzzcut white blokes. (And, it's often argued, games are still in need of a decent range of styles for Black hair.)

62. Trevor kills Johnny

Game: GTA 5
Released: 2013

'Out with the old, in with the new' might be considered a cliché, but not so much when it manifests as a new protagonist caving in the head of an old one. It's a stomach-churning end for Johnny, which also makes for a striking introduction for Trevor, who arrives as a GTA 5 protagonist a fare bit later than Michael and Franklin. There's the sense we've suddenly been thrust into the deep end, and it's all treading dangerous water from here.

61. Phil Cassidy blows his own arm off

Game: GTA: Vice City
Released: 2002

GTA's best one-armed arms dealer finally gets his origin story, a sorry tale of mixing moonshine with homebrew explosives (don't try this at home). Tommy Vercetti drives Phil to the surgeon who saves his life, so don't say he never did anything for anyone. Alongside San Andreas' Claude cameo, the later PS2 games love tipping the cap to GTA 3.

We'll be updating this list each week as we approach our number one pick as part of our Countdown to GTA 6 coverage!

With GTA 6 close on the horizon, the gaming industry is set to have a new standard thrust upon it with all the grace of tossing a molotov cocktail at your own carefully assembled traffic jam. It's not the first time Rockstar Games has shaken the medium by its shoulders. Arguably, they've been doing so since the very first Grand Theft Auto gave us an unprecedented amount of top-down criminal freedom.

Though, perhaps, it wasn't until the rightfully legendary Grand Theft Auto 3 crystallized the open world genre on PS2 that a standard was truly set, one the developer has committed to one-upping time and time again. By the end of the PS2 generation, it had been redefined again. Then, onto the next one. Here, we take a trip through each era of Grand Theft Auto, exploring what's defined each, and how they've pushed open world gaming forward. We're poised to see how GTA 6 will do it again.

1997-1999: It's in their DMA

Games released: Grand Theft Auto, GTA: London 1969, GTA 2

Back in 1997, when Rockstar North was still known as DMA Design, it released a PS1 game called Grand Theft Auto, and a gaming legend was born.

This top-down crime-'em-up was spread across three locations: Liberty City; Vice City; and San Andreas. Yup, all three have been GTA canon from the beginning. You may not be surprised to learn that the series, and its reliance on crime and violence, caused controversy from the very beginning. There was much red-faced bluster about the first game in the House Of Lords, and many people wanted the game banned from sale (which never happened).

1999 saw the release of two new games. Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 was an expansion pack developed by Rockstar Canada, and was set in – you guessed it – London. Over here, the expansion got a bigger, standalone release (bet you can't guess why). You could tell that it was set in the UK, because when you were arrested, the screen would shout NICKED at you instead of BUSTED. Alas, the series never returned to London or any other real-world setting.

The fully fledged sequel was released in the same year as the cockney-flavoured expansion pack for the first game. GTA2 introduced many things that carried through to the rest of the series in one way or another, such as a health bar, manual saving, side-missions, vehicle modding, and – for better or for worse – a large number of things to collect hidden throughout the city. A solid foundation for future games to build on.

2001-2004: 3D or not 3D?

Games released: GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas

2001's GTA 3 was the final game to be developed under the name DMA Design (with help from Rockstar's New York division) but that, of course, is not the most notable thing about it. This was the first game in the series in full 3D, making the open world gameplay more enticing than ever.

The protagonist causing havoc in Liberty City was mute, but the NPCs weren't. The fully-voiced story boasted high-profile actors in the cast, including Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Madsen. It must've been costly to develop, but it paid off; GTA 3 was the best-selling game of the year.

The next game in the series arrived just one year later. The legendary GTA: Vice City was also the best selling game of its year, and it's little surprise, really. Not only was it riding on the phenomenal success of the previous game, the excellently curated licensed soundtrack and neon-happy visual design practically screamed 1980s at players. Another all-star cast certainly didn't hurt, with actors including Gary Busey, Dennis Hopper… and the late Ray Liotta as Tommy Vercetti.

In 2004 came the big one (literally); in terms of map size, GTA: San Andreas was much bigger than anything that had come before, over twice as big as Liberty City and Vice City put together. Despite this, there were – unlike in the previous two games – no loading screens while exploring the open world. Some still treasure it as the best GTA, and it was certainly met with a warm welcome on release. As is tradition for the series by now, it outsold all other games that year. It introduced stealth, hopping over walls, and the ability to swim. It was the first game in the series to feature character customisation via haircuts and the like, and RPG-style skill improvement.

2005-2009: Time to pocket the profits

Games released: GTA: Liberty City Stories, GTA: Vice City Stories, GTA: Chinatown Wars

Spin-off GTA: Liberty City Stories was released as a PSP exclusive in 2005. It was ported to PS2 in 2006, but the latter version was actually missing some really cool features from the original handheld release, namely the multiplayer mode and the ability to create custom soundtracks from your own music. (Now that's something we wish the series still had.)

2006 then saw GTA: Vice City Stories for PSP (also later ported to PS2). Although the Stories games and their recycled maps were filling a gap before the next 'proper' GTA, they were still pretty good, and retained some of the stars of the games that they drew from.

GTA: Chinatown Wars in 2009 never made the jump from DS/PSP to PS2, which is a shame, because it's absolutely brilliant. Using a similar top-down view to the original games, it had a retro feel while being a much sharper experience than those 1990s titles.

2008-2010: Relax at the Niko cafe

Games released: GTA 4, The Lost And Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony

As the first GTA designed from the ground up for a new generation of consoles, GTA 4 wowed the industry when it launched for PS3 in 2008.

Liberty City looked better than ever, and the game featured a number of improvements and features that would return in the next entry in the series. These include the importance and functions of your phone, TV programmes that you can watch in the protagonist's home, the ability to make decisions at certain points during the story, and (a small but very neat thing) the ability to hail a cab and just sit in the back, enjoying the ride.

Two expansions, The Lost And Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony, were released individually for Xbox 360 in 2009, but in a single standalone package for PS3 in 2010. The Lost And Damned gained notoriety for briefly showing a man's 'unholstered pistol' (ahem) in a cutscene.

2013-Present: Five is live (service)

Games released: GTA 5, GTA Online

GTA 5 was released in 2013. And 2014. And, er, also in 2022. We're pretty sure that Rockstar is done making new versions though, if only because it's run out of PlayStation consoles to make it for. The game’s certainly stood the test of time; the PS5 story mode is essentially identical to the original PS3 one – yet despite this, it very much feels like a current-gen experience.

We don't have the space or the time to list everything the latest instalment introduced and improved, but multiple playable characters, the biggest map in the series to date, an optional first-person perspective, and complex heist missions are certainly worth mentioning. Then, of course, there is GTA Online.

Grand Theft Auto Online, which launched a month after the offline component in 2013, initially suffered from severe technical issues and arguably limited content. It soon recovered, however, and Rockstar has been constantly improving and adding to it ever since. The repeated rereleases saw some casualties along the way, though; PS3 updates were stopped in 2015, and PS3 servers were shut down completely in 2021.

The game as it stands today is crammed with content, so much so that a standalone version was released earlier this year. It has a full story with expansions, players can race with one another, set up businesses, take part in multiplayer heists, enjoy stunt races, and more. Up to 30 people can play together, yet much of it can still be enjoyed as a solo experience.

Is Rockstar's dedication to GTA Online updates a sign of how important online features will be to the next game? Even if it's not, each instalment has offered something new, and there's no reason to think GTA 6 will be any different.

But which one should you play while waiting for GTA 6? Our best GTA games ranking has the answer!

As Grand Theft Auto 6 slowly begins to emerge on the horizon like a portent of civilizational doom, and players endlessly speculate about what to expect from its multiplayer component, I find myself thinking back to what I consider to be the golden age of GTA Online – the late 2010s and early 2020s. Even back then, years after its release, endless post-launch updates adding science fiction weapons and flying supercars had long since robbed the multiplayer component of its crime sandbox of any claim to realism. Not when you could watch the hapless LSPD going up against players armed with Tron bikes and ray guns.

Perhaps this was why the playerbase ended up stumbling upon the perfect absurdist parody in response to this eternal escalation, one that would forever change the face of one of the largest online games in history.

Aliens among us

The "Alien Gang War," as it would come to be known, was not particularly complex at first. Such things never are. Teams of players would pile into panel vans, all dressed in neon green bodysuits, before driving around town until they found a suitable target based on… Well, it was never entirely clear, but comic timing was probably the most significant element.

With their prey decided, the van would come to a screeching halt, and between three and three thousand goons in cheap Halloween costumes would pile out and attack the offender with baseball bats and pool cues, before leaping back into their getaway car and squealing away.

Juvenile? Sure. Bullying? Maybe a little. But on a visual level it was always hilarious, a bunch of neon green mascots enacting frenetic street justice with broken bottles and hammers, ignoring the fact that there were actual ray guns and lasers available in GTA Online. Even players with heavy-duty firepower were generally taken aback by the sheer number of martians sprinting at them, and it only took a single whiffle bat to the skull to knock a target down and allow the rest of the crew to promptly beat them into the tarmac.

This all went on for months as a kind of background story, never really becoming too significant, but then the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic kicked in and things started to change.

As we all remember, lockdown forced many onto their computers for the hope of any sort of social life. This influx of people supercharged the extra-terrestrial conflict, driving Gang War participants well into the millions, and the community ended up producing a counter-force to the growing green menace: the Purple Aliens.

This led to all kinds of Green versus Purple skirmishes, with the former generally standing for chaos in all forms, while the purples usually just tried to obstruct them wherever possible. It was an obviously unwinnable conflict that was still deeply entertaining, even if the Green team reliably had about three times the numbers. Plus it didn't help that a lot of people seemed slightly uncertain what was even going on, but didn't see why that should stop them from getting involved.

And two factions were only the start of it all. Now other players would introduce themselves as human defenders of Earth, out to slaughter both sides, or war reporters documenting events from the peripheries, claiming the role of tritagonists in an ever-developing science fiction saga that had already put Rebel Moon to shame.

Beam me up, knock 'em down

Eventually the lack of a clear end goal or victory state for either side meant that it just petered out, but some players still try to bring back the Alien Wars from time to time, or simply fly the flag for their chosen team by digging out the bodysuit and battering a few people on a Sunday afternoon.

Me included! I'll admit I'm not above the occasional couple of hours spent in spandex while jumping people in dark alleyways, or as I sometimes think of it, "the mean meme green team bean and flee the scene scheme".

But what I hope is that this phenomenon – or something like it – re-emerges in GTA6, especially if it can happen organically without Rockstar's meddling and oversight. In many ways the Green vs Purple conflict was exactly what GTA needed back then, stripping back all the cloying, monetized elements and focusing on consequence-free fuckabouts with very little barrier to entry.

Meanwhile, such a thing never really could get a foothold in Red Dead Online, which ended up being the sensible, well-behaved sibling, less interested in wacky chaos than taciturn hat-tipping and herb gathering. If GTA 6 Online reels me in, it's because it'll have provided that same sort of playground for violent, team-building nonsense that its predecessor did.

Secure your copy of Rockstar's latest with this handy guide to GTA 6 pre-orders

The Countdown to GTA 6 has been activated. It's difficult to believe, but on November 19 you'll finally be able to leave Los Santos behind for a new sandbox to explore. Rockstar Games has booked you a ticket to the fictional US state of Leonida, the Florida-inspired region which also happens to include the neon-lit metropolis of Vice City. Mark the date on your calendars, because there's no stopping Grand Theft Auto 6 from landing this November now.

GamesRadar+ has launched Countdown to GTA 6 as a destination for all of the biggest news and updates on the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X release. We're also going to be celebrating the 13th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto 5, returning to the chaos simulator that is GTA Online, and looking back across the entire franchise – exploring the impact and legacy of a series which truly changed the world.

You'll find new Grand Theft Auto articles every week on GamesRadar+ as we countdown to what is undoubtedly the biggest entertainment release of the decade. This is a moment worth celebrating, and we want to do it together with you. So be sure to keep our Countdown to GTA 6 bookmarked and we'll see you out there on the road to release.

Countdown to GTA 6

Rockstar Games is yet to confirm an official release time for GTA 6. Right now, we're assuming that it'll be available globally from midnight local time. So until we have more concrete information, our Countdown to GTA 6 timer is set to 00:00 EST on November 19.

GTA 6: Essentials

Secure Your Pre-Order

The Latest GTA 6 Trailer

Essential GTA 6 Guides

The 10 Best GTA 6 Screenshots

Dive Deeper Into GTA 6

GamesRadar+'s Countdown to GTA 6 brings you new GTA 6, GTA Online, and Grand Theft Auto franchise coverage every week now that we're on the road to release.

It's typically difficult to predict when GTA 6 news is going to land. Developer Rockstar Games is historically secretive and tends to operate on its own schedule. But with around 110 days to go until GTA 6 lands on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X, that's almost certainly about to change.

The next 100 days are going to be critical. There's an exceptionally limited amount of information out there in the wild – we don't yet have a clear sense of how the latest Grand Theft Auto will play or the major gameplay innovations that Rockstar has developed. With that in mind, below you'll find my predictions for the 5 major beats that we should all expect to see on the road to GTA 6's release.

5. GTA 6 gameplay showcase

• Confidence: 95%
• Guesstimate: August

Rockstar previously indicated that the marketing for GTA 6 would kick into high gear over the summer, and with just one month left before the fall you should expect that a big reveal is on the horizon. Whether it's labeled GTA Trailer 3 or something else entirely, I predict that we'll get a detailed gameplay showcase in August ahead of Gamescom.

There's so much that Rockstar could reveal, but I suspect that a first look at raw in-game action would focus on core game elements such as character-switching between the two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, and focus on the new systems and mechanics that'll feed expansive cycles of crime and chaos across Vice City.

4. A Living World Deep-Dive

• Confidence: 80%
• Guesstimate: September

Given that it's been 13 years since the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 and eight since Red Dead Redemption 2, it's now that much of a stretch to believe that Rockstar has a bit of a point to prove. The studio is known for pushing the boundaries of what is possible within open-world sandboxes, and I think that it's likely we'll get a dedicated showcase that covers the living world of Leonida.

GTA publisher Take-Two has a shareholder meeting on September 17, so what better way to generate some good vibes than with a focus on dynamic NPCs, evolving neighborhoods, wildlife density, and graphical fidelity. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

3. GTA Online 2.0 reveal

• Confidence: 50%
• Guesstimate: October

GTA Online remains one of the most popular multiplayer games, with reports suggesting that it still receives millions of active users a week. In my heart, I do believe that Rockstar will want to keep the focus on the core GTA 6 campaign for as long as possible; why risk pulling attention away from Jason and Lucia's adventure?

But with so many GTA Online users spread across PS4 and Xbox One (not to mention PC, where GTA 6 remains unannounced with no release date) it seems only fair that the developer will let its online playerbase know what to expect. The cost of the PS5 and Xbox Series X only continues to rise, so clearing up the future of GTA Online feels more necessary now than ever.

2. GTA 6 previews

• Confidence: 60%
• Guesstimate: October

Will Rockstar let anybody play GTA 6 before it's released? As the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+, I would certainly hope so – I'm as desperate to play a new Grand Theft Auto as I am to share that experience with all of you. Even if Rockstar does deploy gameplay and living world showcases, there will no doubt be millions of unanswered questions that could be addressed by letting members of the press, content creators, and the GTA community go hands-on.

It's common for studios to put previews of their upcoming video games out there (Rockstar included), but then there's nothing about this marketing campaign that's been conventional. And, given how much of the game leaked in 2022, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rockstar keeps this one close to the chest.

1. A Final GTA 6 story Trailer

• Confidence: 95%
• Guesstimate: November

If GTA 5 and RDR 2 are any indication, then the last few miles on the road to release will feature a GTA 6 story trailer that is wholly focused on the relationship between Jason and Lucia, and the criminal conspiracy that they get dragged into after a heist gone wrong.

Rockstar has always sought to showcase the filmic quality of its productions, and with GTA 6 being purpose-built for PS5 and Xbox Series X, I expect that to be especially true this time around. Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest entertainment properties in the world and Rockstar won't want to miss an opportunity to remind the masses that GTA 6 is far more than a chaos simulator.

What comes next?

If 100 days takes us to November 8, 2026, then the 101st day will see the marketing campaign kick into high gear ahead of the November 19 release date. Expect GTA 6 to be plastered everywhere in physical and digital spaces, especially as pre-load for PS5 and Xbox Series X is set to begin on November 12 for those of you with a GTA 6 pre-order locked in.

While you wait for GTA 6, why not check out our rankings of the best GTA games and the greatest Rockstar games of all-time.

Video games can transport you across kingdoms and dimensions, so developer Rockstar was bold in deciding to set its 2006 open-world drama Bully in a New England boarding school. 20 years later, there still isn't anything quite like it.

Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser tells IGN during a San Diego Comic-Con interview, "The team did an amazing job bringing [Bully] together, and it's a game that's unlike any other games out there."

"You know," Houser added, "I think people are always looking for games that play like normal games, but with different tone and different setting. And Bully really found that." The teen angst simulator puts faith in its moody protagonist Jimmy, whose normal-ness sets him apart from other AAA game heroes. As him, you try winning over each of Bullworth Academy's stereotypical cliques – Jocks, Nerds, Greasers – while dodging adults, drinking soda, and Rated T smooching the NPC of your choice. It's a classroom daydream where you outrun the hall monitor and become a John Hughes hero.

Naturally, players got happily lost in it. Our contemporaneous GamesRadar+ review calls it a "cavalcade of favors, beatdowns, vandalism, minor theft, humiliation, blackmail, make-outs and a whole lot of sticking it to The Man." Basically, it's awesome.

Though, Bully was controversial ahead of its release as parents panicked about the name "Bully" (our review references this by calling Bully either "the ruin of Western civilization or a Catcher in the Rye for the videogame generation"). Rockstar wasn't worried about what was ultimately an anti-bullying statement as Houser pulled freely from his childhood memories while working on the game's story. That grubby authenticity ultimately helped make Bully a popular, empathetic open-world game people could really see themselves in, and it prevented Bully from being another great game overshadowed by moral panic – which is what happened to the other 2006, boarding school nightmare Rule of Rose.

"I think people love open-world games anyway – particularly, ones that are made with integrity," Houser tells IGN about Bully. "We've got amazing art direction from [former Rockstar lead] Steven Olds, you've got incredible music, you've got some really memorable characters, and it's a unique setting. It came together really well."

Find out where Bully falls on our ranked list of the 25 best Rockstar games of all time.

The Rockstar Games Workers Union has had its first meeting with Rockstar management after seeking recognition, confirming that "it was a step in the right direction."

Last month, it was revealed that Rockstar developers in the UK were seeking official union recognition – something which would give the union the right to negotiate with employers at GTA 6 developer Rockstar on behalf of its members regarding things like employment conditions. Rockstar agreed to meet with the union reps, and now, the union has shared an update on Twitter.

"We had our first meeting with Rockstar management!" a new post from the Rockstar Games Workers Union states, confirming that, as it stands, Rockstar has requested negotiations before agreeing to the union's voluntary recognition.

As for how things went, the RSGWU says: "It was a step in the right direction. We were able to make the case that workers' voices need to be heard and that we can collaborate to achieve this." Crucially, it adds, "we managed to secure a roadmap for a speedy negotiation process."

Next, the union says, "we will now look to agree on the 'bargaining unit' – the list of workers that the union can represent."

Although the union is seeking voluntary recognition, that isn't its only option. "If negotiations over a voluntary recognition agreement hit a wall, we will pursue statutory recognition, which legally obliges an employer to recognise a union once it represents a significant proportion of the workforce," it explains. And, although it doesn't share numbers, it sounds like the RSGWU is pretty big. In fact, it's "already the biggest game studio union in Europe."

With that said, there are benefits of voluntary recognition – as the RSGWU writes, it'd mean "anything can be written into the agreement document."

In this case, the union wants "no crunch" – ensuring that overtime is "always paid" and aiming for "a stronger process" to avoid crunching in the first place – as well as pay transparency, flexible working options, "a commitment to no layoffs," and to make it so no one's job can be "replaced with AI."

Crunch is a big part of this for the devs. One anonymous dev who recently spoke about the goals of the union alleged that "crunch is prevalent enough that the company built into our contracts, as standard, an opt-out of the Working Time Regulations."

For now, it seems we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. Last year, Rockstar Games was accused of union busting after over 30 employees – who were allegedly either current union members or planning to organize one – were fired. Rockstar claimed at the time that "we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies. This was in no way related to people's right to join a union or engage in union activities."

"There is a magic to what Rockstar does," former GTA 5 dev says ahead of GTA 6, "I just wish they could do it at a lower human cost."

Yo dawg, I heard you like Grand Theft Auto, so I put multiple GTA games inside your GTA. That's probably what the modder behind the GTA multiverse was thinking, because he made it possible to quite literally jump between 3, Vice City, and San Andreas at will.

I'm not exaggerating, either. The creative mind in question is known as Dryxio, and he put up a video demonstrating his digital creation. Starting on Grove Street, the home of CJ in San Andreas, he's confronted by three portals: one going to a spot in the middle of 3, another to somewhere in Vice City, and another taking him to a different location in his current game.

He uses an assault rifle to show that what we're seeing is fully interactive. You can shoot through these portals at NPCs visible on the other end, as if it were a regular window. Stepping into one then places you in the shoes of the other protagonists, either Tommy Vercetti or Claude, and you can continue playing as normal through that particular installment.

It's truly a technical marvel, and in the YouTube comments he provides a bit of insight on how he did it. "All three games run inside the same process, sharing one Direct3D device," he writes.

"Each portal is a live GPU texture, the other game is actually running behind it, it's not a video or a captured window," he adds. "Walking through swaps which engine has control and the others keep running."

What he's saying is that all three games are literally running at the same time, and each instance of jumping through a portal transfers you over to that installment seamlessly. The modification isn't available publicly yet, but I'd advise following him for updates if you're keen to try it.

He's been modding Grand Theft Auto games for some time, with other videos on his channel for a San Andreas map editor and a filter for giving any clip the aesthetic of the 2004 classic PlayStation 2 release. This sets a pretty high bar for where he could go next. Can't believe we got all three PS2 GTA games running simultaneously before GTA 6.

GTA 6 probably won't include any cut content, says GTA 5 producer, even though Rockstar snuck "unannounced" game's missions into GTA 4

Rockstar probably isn't planning to slip any sneaky cut content from its previous games into GTA 6, says GTA 5 producer John Ricchio, though the developer has done it before.

Ricchio tells Kiwi Talkz about Rockstar's approach to cut content in a recent interview, "If the tech is fundamentally the same, or similar enough, you can sometimes plop it in as like, 'Hey, let's just see how this works.'" Ricchio specifically remembers Rockstar adding "some" missions from a cancelled, unannounced game into GTA 4, "which was kind of cool."

"So there's the notion like, 'Hey, this idea is cool. We should keep this idea going.' I think that 100% happens," Ricchio says. But "when it comes to actually, like, lifting scripting or a code into a new game, that depends a lot on how much the tech has changed."

Still, even when Rockstar devs could borrow intriguing concepts from previous games, they might choose not to. Ricchio explains, "In a lot of cases, there's almost never – you're usually not limited by ideas, right? Like there's always tons of ideas. The more creative folks you got, you got tons of ideas."

"I haven't seen a huge need to go back and pull from old stuff unless something was just really cool," Ricchio continues, "and people really want to bring the idea forward."

But what if I want to learn if Bully's cut Tie Headband Punk could turn his life around among GTA 6's Leonida beaches? "It's possible," says Ricchio about Rockstar adopting cut content, but "I don't think it's very common unless you're doing a fast-follow."

GTA 5 had "so much" cut content, including minigames that were almost "completely done," former Rockstar dev says: "They'll throw out entire levels."

Rockstar Games' open worlds are humungous affairs full of things to buy, shoot, collect, rob, and do. Although with games as lush and extravagant as Red Dead Redemption and GTA 5, it might surprise you to learn that Rockstar Games is actually quite restrained, and the developer cuts a lot of content before passing the finish line.

That's according to former GTA 5 producer John Ricchio, who recently told Kiwi Talkz about how the Grand Theft Auto developer trims the fat on its mammoth games. "There was so much stuff in GTA, particularly GTA 5 – oh my god, there was so much stuff that was like done," he says in the interview. "Like, minigames that were completely done and ready to go, except for like animation, right?"

Minigames were allegedly binned because "the animation team were getting destroyed," and there was "so much animation work to do to bring everything to the same level" in a game as large as GTA 5 "that we had to cut stuff that was otherwise completely done." There simply wasn't enough time on the calendar to have everything meet the same level of quality.

Ricchio was often told by fellow developers that sweeping cuts are just "'a thing that happens, you know, because the game is so big – GTAs are always gigantic.'" Rockstar leaders wouldn't hesitate to bin larger parts of the game, either: "They'll throw out entire levels and they'll throw out entire things because they don't have enough resources to get everything to the same level."

Major cuts were sometimes "hard to deal with" for the dedicated developers who had been working on features or levels or minigames for a "really long time," especially when everyone on the team was happy with the cut work. "It wasn't like they went into DLC or anything… They just disappeared," Ricchio adds.

But he also acknowledges that such cuts are part of working under a "large production" like Rockstar Games, and it's sometimes for the best. "Every decision can't be made by everyone," he says, and when a developer's headcount stretches as wide as Rockstar's, there'll inevitably be decisions that not everyone will agree on.

According to another ex-developer, an entire single-player Agent Trevor DLC was abruptly scrapped after the dizzying success of GTA Online. Rockstar Universe also lists all of the games' supposed cut content, mostly based on glimpses of features from old trailers that never made it into the finished product.

GTA 5 is still selling millions a year, letting Rockstar do whatever it wants with GTA 6: analyst estimates 1.8 million just on PS5 in 2026.

GTA 6 is expected to draw the highest pre-order figures in video game history, a new analyst report finds, and could top $5 billion in global sales by the end of launch week.

Newzoo released a dedicated analysis of GTA 6 pre-orders tabulated so far. Estimating around $180 million in combined digital sales across the first week in the US and the top five European markets, the firm concludes that Rockstar's long-awaited open-world epic is on a course for "the strongest pre-order campaign ever recorded." (Reminder: there are no real physical copies of GTA 6.)

These six markets represent roughly 69% of lifetime console players for GTA 5, Newzoo adds. Gaming demographics have shifted a bit since GTA 5 was released approximately 37 years ago, but this is still a solid base for GTA 6 estimates. Estimating uncounted regions, week-one pre-order sales may have been as high as $260 million.

"Placed on the sales curve GTA 6 is likely to follow, that puts it on pace for $3.3 - $5.2 billion in cumulative global sales by the end of launch week," the report reads. This is quite a large range, but even the low end would be monolithic – factors higher than Rockstar's estimated development budget.

This range exists because Newzoo is using this $180 million start as the base for three different models: the "brand-new IP," the "sequel with performance uncertainty," and "the proven sequel - a known quantity." GTA 6, obviously, "will most closely resemble the proven sequel curve," which sees more linear growth and less of a "hockey stick" spike associated with new IP.

"Massively anticipated each release with a tried and tested formula," Newzoo says of such games. "The audience is aggregated, loyal and established. They don’t need to ‘wait and see’, so a higher share of the total revenue is booked early in the pre-order window."

Splitting the difference a bit, "GTA 6 is on pace for $4.5 billion in sales by launch week (roughly 51 million units at an assumed $88 average selling price)."

Newzoo also (correctly) skewers "social media reports" suggesting Rockstar had already raked in billions in revenue through GTA 6 pre-orders. Such figures were bafflingly repeated by a Rockstar union representative, who claimed the company can "easily afford" to meet union demands after "reportedly" earning $3 billion in pre-orders. Rockstar's pot of gold is beyond question, but you've got a better shot at a snowball fight in Hell than any unreleased premium game selling upwards of 30 million copies in a few weeks. Not even GTA 6 can eat the mountains and drink the seas.

Addressing claims GTA has "done a billion dollars in pre-orders," the report adds, "This is absurd. Given how pre-order curves look, nothing ever has and nothing ever will in the near future."

GTA 5 producer John Ricchio reckons GTA 6 is skipping PC at launch, not because Rockstar doesn't care about the platform, but because consoles had to be prioritized.

Hacker behind GTA 6 leak that cost Rockstar $5 million reportedly awaiting retrial after being released from secure hospital.

The hacker charged with breaching Rockstar Games to pull off 2022's infamous GTA 6 leak has reportedly been released from the secure hospital where he was being held as he prepares to face a criminal trial later this year.

Arion Kurtaj – a member of hacking group Lapsus$ who allegedly pulled off the enormous Rockstar Games hack in a hotel room using an Amazon Fire Stick, mobile phone, and hotel TV while on bail for a different hack – was deemed psychologically unfit to stand trial back in July 2023. In December 2023, over a year on from the incident which Rockstar Games stated had cost it $5 million to recover from, it was reported by the BBC that the then-18-year-old would spend life in a secure hospital unless he was deemed to no longer be a danger by doctors.

According to a Bluesky post from BBC News cyber correspondent Joe Tidy, Kurtaj's circumstances have now reportedly changed. Kurtaj is "out of the secure hospital he was sent to and now in a normal prison awaiting retrial," Tidy reports, adding that he "will face a conventional criminal trial in November."

Back in December 2023, a judge reportedly determined that Kurtaj was a risk to the public because of his skill and desire to commit cybercrimes, with a mental health assessment stating that he "continued to express the intent to return to cyber-crime as soon as possible. He is highly motivated."

Shortly after the hack took place, Rockstar said it was "extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way," but said, "we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects."

Even so, as well as apparently costing the company $5 million to deal with, Rockstar later told the court that the incident had taken up thousands of hours of staff members' time.

While you're here, be sure to catch up on everything we know about GTA 6 so far.

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden says that while GTA 6 will be monumentally huge, devs need to do more to appeal to people who don't care about the biggest AAA games.

Speaking to Kotaku, Layden says that for a potential PS6, iterative hardware that promises a bit of a higher framerate or better ray tracing isn't going to cut it, and that console makers need the software to justify spending money on a new console. "I think we’re already kind of limiting our reach just because of the games we’re building now. I mean, variety and range seem to be narrowing," Layden says, singling out popular genres like "a zombie apocalypse game, or it’s a space marine game, or it’s guys with really long swords and not much armor and dragons."

"Of course, Grand Theft Auto is going to be like an asteroid piercing the atmosphere and hitting the gaming universe with great force and power." Layden says, adding, "But there are a lot of people in the world who really don’t care about Grand Theft Auto, the non-gaming community."

He explains, "We talk about how big we are, $220 billion, $250 billion industry, but our social impact is the reverse. Everybody has a favorite song. That’s probably the least revenue-generating entertainment category, music, compared to gaming and film and television. But yet it has the widest impact."

Layden says, "gaming, it’s huge on the revenue side of things, but it’s a very select group that are doing it. We’re getting more money from the same people all the time and not necessarily bringing in new people into the experience."

He adds, "If these people who aren’t in the gaming experience have already said 'we don’t care about Call of Duty, we don’t care about Grand Theft Auto, we don’t care about Gran Turismo,' doing more of those same games is obviously not going to appeal to those people either."

Layden continues, "We need to bring out more games for more people, which means actually you have to have more people making games and in different places and different experiences. I want to find out what games from Uruguay look like and what kind of game designers we have in Bulgaria."

Granted, Layden's tenure as head of PlayStation was when Sony's first-party output began to focus on the cinematic third-person action game style that permeates its output today (or rather, did before Jim Ryan and Herman Hulst's live service pivots). And with the closure of the likes of Japan Studio, I think it's pretty unlikely Sony's output will be much more diverse in the future.

GTA 6 faces potential $35 million fine if Rockstar doesn't comply with online safety laws that mean Australians would need ID to play.

GTA Online officially got its first new Heist mission in six long years today, with the Kortz Center Heist inviting teams of four (you can solo it too, but what fun is that?) to stake out a prestigious art museum and make it a little less prestigious, if you catch my drift. The mission sounds like a fun and lucrative time, but if you're planning on hosting your friends and don't have a ton of in-game cash saved up, you should know there are some rather spendy prerequisites for doing so, and there isn't enough stolen virtual art in the world to recoup your real-world investment.

We did the math to figure out the barrier of entry to GTA Online's new heist and found it to be exorbitantly expensive if you're starting out fresh and want to buy your way in using Shark Cards, assuming you aren't working with any existing GTA+ bonuses or discounts. The reason for that is you first need a mansion to even begin thinking about hosting the Kortz Center Heist. The cheapest one is The Tonga Estate at $11.5 million in GTA money. You also need to own an art studio, which will set you back another $4.7 million, making the total minimum required to host the mission $16.2 million.

Again, assuming you're starting completely fresh, that means you'll need to buy a $10,000,000 cash card for $99.99 in real money, a $4,250,000 card for $49.99, a $1,500,000 card for $19.99, and a $600,000 card for $9.99, which equals $179.96 in actual money from your real-life bank account. With the GTA 6 price being set at $80 for the base game, that means you could pre-order Rockstar's upcoming behemoth twice and still have money leftover for a latte before you start bumping up against the price to run GTA Online's new Heist.

Of course, the huge caveat here is that you can join a friend's Heist for free if they already have a mansion and art museum, which is most certainly what the vast majority of GTA Online players are going to do. Still, it's harrowing to consider what a brand new player with no rich friends would have to shell out for the game's newest mission, especially when that same amount of money could be used to secure what's sure to be a much grander mission in just a few months twice over.

I should hate GTA 6's pre-order bonuses and Ultimate Edition add-ons, but I'm glad Rockstar seems to be avoiding the big problem with game-breaking DLC

As we get closer to GTA 6's launch with no PC port in sight, it'd be understandable if you were wondering why Rockstar Games is choosing to ignore such a massive chunk of fans at release, especially when it seems very likely to bring the game to the platform eventually. Well, according to one Rockstar veteran, the studio isn't opposed to releasing games on PC – it just might not be worth the time or effort when it could be focusing on something else first.

Speaking in a new interview with Reece 'Kiwi Talkz' Reilly on YouTube (below), former Rockstar Games producer John Ricchio – who worked at the company between 2003 and 2014, and is credited on GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption, and Max Payne 3 – discusses the GTA developer's approach to PC ports. He notes that, although it's "less fashionable" in the games industry now than it once was, it causes many "problems" to start development on PC and then move to consoles afterward. "You're much better off starting with the constraints," he adds, because "shrinking is a lot harder than extending."

While this certainly influences Rockstar's approach to PC ports, Ricchio explains that it's also often about prioritizing the devs' efforts. When it came to Red Dead Redemption, for example, Ricchio says "we actually got a PC build running very early" to see how long it'd take – something that might come as a surprise given that the game's eventual PC port arrived a whopping 14 years after its initial console release. But, as the ex-production dev says, "It's not even that we don't care about PC. It was just like, is it worth spending time getting a PC port going versus working on GTA 5?"

According to Ricchio, it's "always those conversations" that drive the PC plan at Rockstar – the studio isn't "anti any platform." Regardless of the platform, it's about whether it's "worth spending the time and effort to get something running."

In the past, there have been "a lot of cases" of "legitimate hardware limitations" – something Ricchio admits is less of an issue now that consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X are "definitely closer" in power. But, the point remains – "if you're working on that, you're not working on something else usually. Are you spending money on that? You're not spending money on something else."

Ultimately, then, Ricchio says, there either "has to be enough of a business reason to do some of those ports," or the port has to be "super easy to do," which it "rarely" is because "there's always something that you gotta do."

So, I guess if we're not getting GTA 6 on PC at launch, maybe it's because the devs could be busy working on Red Dead Redemption 3, or – wild as it is to even imagine at this point – GTA 7? Regardless, hopefully PC fans won't have to wait too long for the game to make its way to Steam – it took GTA 5 over a year and a half.

GTA 6 faces potential $35 million fine if Rockstar doesn't comply with online safety laws that mean Australians would need ID to play.

Rockstar has fully lifted the lid on GTA Online's first big new heist update in six years, The Kortz Center Heist, releasing next week on Tuesday, July 14 for all platforms.

The next big evolution of GTA Online had previously been teased for a July release, but now we know the full details thanks to a new announcement posted to the game's official website. As questions swirl about how long it'll take for the next iteration of GTA Online to join GTA 6, The Kortz Center Heist is likely to be the final big update to GTA 5 Online and is the first official heist update since 2020's Cayo Perico. The Cluckin' Bell Farm Raid update from a couple of years back definitely felt pretty heisty, but it's technically classified as a Raid and Contact mission, making The Kortz Center the first new actual heist in six long years.

The Kortz Center Heist will be playable solo or with a four-player team, which is obviously the preferred choice here. The heist sees you and your friends link up with the mysterious Mr. Faber and his main fixer, Raf De Angelis, to stake out a prestigious art museum and steal its most valuable assets. Of course, even experienced criminals will want to do some preparation before robbing a high-end museum, and that's where the big homebase addition comes in: the art studio. To kick off the new heist, you'll get to open up an art studio property inside your mansion where you can invite and host your friends to show off all of your stolen works of art.

Once you've scoped out the museum, it'll be time to gear up and plan your big break-in, and once you're actually inside the building, Rockstar says you'll want to snap candid pictures of the exhibits to get a better idea of how to get in and out without alerting security and getting yourself capped. That'll involve "covering your tracks," "ensuring no witnesses," and "wiping CCTV footage" to ensure a maximum take.

Sound fun? Rockstar says there's plenty of room for "variability" to re-do the heist solo or with friends in the form of three new paintings to steal every week. And as always, the Kortz Center Heist will keep collectors busy with new vehicles and upgrades. Meanwhile, GTA+ subscribers will be able to get their hands on the new Grotti Veleno GT for free starting July 14, a full week before regular shmoes will get to buy it.

GTA 6 faces a potential $35 million fine if Rockstar doesn't comply with online safety laws that mean Australians would need ID to play

As GTA 6 grows nearer and nearer, eager folks can't help but be excited to dive into Rockstar Games' long-awaited new Grand Theft Auto entry – but some fans may have to face regional restrictions before proceeding through the game's golden gates.

Australian fans, that is, to be more specific – and it's all thanks to the country's online safety laws, which require age verification from people before they can access content rated for adults.

As per News.com.au, much to nobody's surprise here, GTA 6 (and its predecessors, for that matter) will likely launch with a rating of M for Mature (ages 17+) from the ESRB and 18+ from PEGI – and, under Australia's own Classification Board, Restricted (ages 18+ only).

That's the same rating that GTA 5 carries in the country, for reference, and GTA Online is not accessible without ID verification.

Should Rockstar, for whatever reason, not comply if GTA 6 (very likely) releases with an identical age rating, we're talking about a fine that can go upwards of $49.5 million (in USD, that's about $35 million), as per the BBC.

Obviously, though, there's no reason for the developer not to comply with the law.

As I stated earlier, some of Rockstar's other games already require this age verification via ID – so, especially when the online counterpart for GTA 6 lands, it'll probably be the same ol' story with the studio's new game.

This does make me a bit worried that it could happen elsewhere, like the United Kingdom. It's seen similar online safety laws pass in recent years, with the Discord age verification system immediately springing to mind.

There are also the Steam restrictions and the like, so I could see something similar happening with "adult" games like GTA 6 in the future – although I suppose only time will tell… but it's a more pressing matter now than ever, with GTA 6 pre-orders flying left and right.

GTA 6 shipping without discs "feels unfair to studios still backing physical," Lords of the Fallen 2 boss says, and Sony's certainly not helping

Sony is taking a metaphorical sledgehammer to physical media in early 2028 when it ends production of discs for all new PlayStation games, in a decision that's gone down just as well as you'd expect. The news has been so unpopular, in fact, that folks have now viewed the announcement tweet more than Rockstar's two Twitter posts sharing GTA 6's mythical trailers.

Yup, things are serious out here. Sony had a double barrel of bad news last week – in the very same tweet sharing the impending doom of PlayStation discs, it announced the planned death of the PlayStation Store on PS3 and Vita, the latter of which was already unpopular enough five years ago that the company walked back on the plan, only to bring it back this month. This doozy of a post has, at the time of writing, racked up 166.6 million views on Twitter, and has been flooded with replies ranging from "final nail in the coffin of the company I once loved" to "genuinely, what the fuck are you doing?"

To put things into perspective, Rockstar's Twitter post sharing GTA 6 Trailer 1 back in 2023 has amassed 125.5 million views on the platform, while the Trailer 2 post in 2025 hit 160.6 million, meaning noticeably more people have now seen PlayStation's post – albeit, likely with a shake of the head rather than the unadulterated excitement that comes with literally any GTA 6 news.

The other engagement metrics can tell you that much. PlayStation has 64,000 likes on its post, which might sound like a lot until you compare it to the million on Rockstar's Trailer 1 tweet and 895,000 on Trailer 2. On the flip side, PlayStation has been inundated with 100,000 strongly worded replies, compared to 33,000 and 36,000 on Rockstar's two posts, respectively. Not even GTA 6 hype can outweigh the barrage of negativity Sony is facing.

There's a level of irony to this given that, only two weeks ago, Rockstar Games confirmed that 'physical' copies of GTA 6 launching this November – both on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S – won't come with an actual disc, but rather a code in a box. Obviously, Rockstar is far from the first company to do this, but the lack of a real, on-disc release always tends to go down poorly, and GTA 6 is no exception. As you'd expect with so many people keen to play the game, the backlash was also extremely loud.

It's a troubling time for gaming, as the move away from physical games is something that affects us all. Even if you're not a collector who feels a sense of satisfaction each time you add a new boxed game to your growing shelves, a digital-only future for gaming – which seems more and more likely with decisions like these – could mean the end of the second-hand market and game-sharing, and it raises concerns about ownership and game preservation, to boot.

As disgruntled cries from disc defenders overwhelm PlayStation's first social media post since that fateful announcement, however, it seems likely that Sony might have underestimated just how passionate folks would be about this.

Hideo Kojima is "really sad" about PlayStation ending physical disc production, warns against "frightening" streaming-only future: "You don't actually possess the data yourself."

The fact that physical copies of GTA 6 won't actually exist, because there won't be discs in the box, means Rockstar has reached the zenith of selling plastic tat. You're just paying for a regular case and a print out of the cover art! The publisher's genuinely having the last laugh here, because there's a sticker in one of the available images associated with the upcoming blockbuster embracing the bare naked truth at the heart of unregulated capitalism.

As posted on Twitter by GTA 6 Countdown, an official picture of Grand Theft Auto 6, in the art-style of the cover, contains the sentence, "Buy more useless shit." It's included in a bar code sticker that's stuck on the counter of a clothes shop, with a young woman standing in front of it.

You're not likely to spot it right away, but since actual materials related to the game are few and far between, people have been poring over every tiny detail to understand more about Rockstar's next epic. Thus, someone eventually caught this little titbit.

It's probably worth noting it comes from the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition as well. That version costs $100 and includes some digital goodies, but nothing that impacts gameplay any, and certainly no real life collectibles. I am suddenly filled with nostalgia for the days of Big Daddy statues and the like, standard in any limited edition release of a game.

That was then, and this is now, and Rockstar would like to encourage you to invest in its non-tangible goods as heavily as possible. Of course, financial decisions are yours to make, and if the Ultimate Edition will bring value to your life, go right ahead. But if you just want the base game, the standard version will do just fine.

I do hope we're getting the third trailer soon. People were analyzing Jason's muscles the other day. Players are getting a little stir crazy, and I don't blame them. It's a new month, and only four months until GTA 6 arrives. Come on Rockstar, give us something to really look at.

GTA 6 shipping without discs "feels unfair to studios still backing physical," Lords of the Fallen 2 boss says, and Sony's certainly not helping

Between the controversy that Rockstar Games has sparked with GTA 6 only featuring digital download codes in "physical" copies and Sony's decision to end physical disc production for PlayStation consoles in 2028, both developers and gamers have had… thoughts.

That's putting it lightly. On the one hand, we've got game preservation experts arguing that this will all lead to more piracy. On the other hand, there are countless devs sharing their thoughts on the move away from physical media, like former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra, who says "we can't live in a world of fear if our games will work in the future or not."

It all ties into the Stop Killing Games chatter as well – but there's also a financial aspect to consider.

Marek Tyminski, CEO behind Lords of the Fallen publisher CI Games, explores this thought in a new online thread over on Twitter, explaining why he feels Rockstar's choice to ship GTA 6 without an actual disc (and Sony's decision to axe discs altogether) is "unfair" to other developers.

"GTA 6 shipping with no disc feels unfair to studios still backing physical – and it's accelerating the shift," begins the studio lead.

"Sony ending physical support from 2028 could slash disc releases as early as 2027 or even sooner. Physical delivers far less revenue per unit to developers, longer lead times, and unnecessary costs in a demanding industry where many already lose money. We're still planning to release Lords of the Fallen 2 on disc, but business-wise, it's getting harder to justify when physical is way under 20% of sales, and considering recent events."

Although it's reassuring to hear that the Lords of the Fallen sequel will include a physical release with a disc, it's understandable that this comes at a cost.

Tyminski breaks it down a bit, too, detailing how it cuts into companies' earnings. "At $69.99, retail margin takes 25-35%, distributors another 10-20%, and physical production ~$10," he says. "That leaves studios with just over $26 per unit – compared to ~$49 on digital at highest margin."

He adds: "It only gets worse as prices drop. Large publishers sit on the better side of the equation, but even they make significantly more per digital sale. From a pure ROI standpoint, the choice is obvious."

It's concerning, to say the least, and it'll have an effect on retailers as well, as the CI Games head points out, worrying that "their incentive will be way different when they won't be able to offer software."

It's a difficult future to imagine, but I suppose shops like GameStop have already sort of been moving in that direction, selling tabletop card games, merchandise, etc.

Plus, even though folks in Tyminski's comments argue that opting to release physical discs is good for "PR," it's not that simple. As he states himself, "It looks like it won't be a meaningful option from 2028." Sadly, I'm inclined to agree there.

Between studios like Rockstar already opting to cut discs and bigger companies such as Sony planning to make them entirely obsolete, the future of physical media isn't looking so great. It's not just games, either – Blockbuster's been dead for quite some time now.

Rockstar Games reportedly has no plans to print GTA 6 discs at launch or in the months after

Rockstar developers seeking union recognition claim the company's crunch problem is so entrenched that it's actually been codified in contracts as a way to skirt labor regulations.

Multiple devs spoke to Game Developer about the goals of the Rockstar Game Workers Union – voluntary recognition chief among them. Fighting crunch is also at the top of the list.

"Crunch is prevalent enough that the company built into our contracts, as standard, an opt out of the Working Time Regulations," one developer says, referring to a UK labor regulation which states, among other things and with some exceptions, that people "cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average" and can opt out of an imposed 48-hour week.

However, this employment right can be waived voluntarily, and Rockstar's been accused of countering it with its own opt-out agreement which paves the way for crunch. By accepting the terms – to, you know, get a job – employees can open themselves up to heavy overtime.

"The union successfully ran a campaign to inform people they could opt back in to the regulations at any time, which resulted in Rockstar management simplifying the process and removing the obligation to meet with HR," this developer adds. "Part of the problem with crunch is that there is not an agreed definition, and now it seems the company thinks that offering specific and limited compensation as an incentive for overtime means it no longer qualifies as crunch."

As GTA 6 approaches its long-delayed launch, crunch at Rockstar is reportedly uneven, with some teams avoiding it while employees in other disciplines "seem to never get out of it."

These developers also allege that Rockstar has enabled and tolerated a culture of unequal pay, with the median gender pay gap reportedly widening at the studio amid canceled pushes to balance it. This pay culture reportedly sees significant portions of employee wages regularly withheld in the form of inconsistent bonuses, with up to 20% of expected pay sometimes vanishing for unclear reasons, including "completely subjective or retroactive criticisms."

This week, Rockstar confirmed it will "arrange to meet" union reps.

Rockstar union rep claims GTA 6 bosses can "easily afford" demands after reportedly generating $3 billion in pre-orders as devs call for "fairer crunch" and "pay transparency."

Between the controversy that Rockstar Games has sparked with its upcoming GTA 6 release (one that sees digital download codes in "physical" copies rather than discs) and Sony ending physical disc production for new PlayStation games in 2028, it's been one heck of a week.

It's not looking good for collectors or general fans of physical media, that's for certain. On the one hand, we've got developers like Rockstar moving away from discs. On the other, there are even bigger companies like Sony announcing that it'll cut the production of new game discs for its consoles altogether in just a couple of years. Then, there's Nintendo with its introduction of game-key cards on the Switch 2 – so, yeah.

This, coupled with all of the Stop Killing Games chatter surrounding the end of live-service titles, has made for much discussion regarding consumer rights – so much so, in fact, that preservation experts like Video Game History Foundation director Frank Cifaldi have chimed in on the matter.

Most recently, he has responded to a person on social media asserting that "piracy is the only extant form of media preservation that exists in games right now."

Cifaldi doesn't exactly disagree there, writing, "As the director of a historical video game preservation institution, and someone who has dedicated his entire adult life to this cause, this is accurate. We have attempted to work with the industry's trade organization to find a legal path forward, but they refuse to offer a meaningful alternative."

As the director of a historical video game preservation institution, and someone who has dedicated his entire adult life to this cause, this is accurate. We have attempted to work with the industry's trade organization to find a legal path forward, but they refuse to offer a meaningful alternative.

— @frankcifaldi.bsky.social (@frankcifaldi.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-02T15:26:34.299Z

That certainly makes sense – heck, new games like GTA 6 are only the tip of the iceberg of the problem at hand.

This also lines up with what Cifaldi said yesterday, as Sony announced its plan for physical discs on PlayStation consoles – that downloading GTA 6 with the "hope it'll run in 50 years is not a preservation solution."

He dubbed the entire situation "unfortunate news for those who still prefer buying games on physical media," which, you know, isn't exactly a minor portion of video game consumers. There are quite a few collectors out there, too.

Here's hoping the industry itself takes note of people's reactions – although I doubt it'll be enough to convince companies like Sony to back down on their decision to step away from physical media. Times are changing, after all… I suppose.

Nintendo probably won't ditch physical games just because PlayStation is, analyst predicts: "Nintendo is going to be Nintendo, for better and/or worse."

As GTA 6 quickly approaches, it's hard not to see Rockstar Games just about everywhere on the web – but its new Grand Theft Auto game isn't the only reason it's in the limelight.

Rockstar developers in the United Kingdom are seeking official union recognition from the studio's leads currently, hoping to join ZA/UM as part of one of the region's first formally acknowledged unions in the video game industry, and the company has now put out a statement in response.

Admittedly, the entire situation is a lot, coming after Rockstar was accused of union-busting in 2025 when the company fired 31 workers. These devs were all either current union members or folks planning to organize one.

Within the current request to unionize, devs hope for executives to acknowledge "our key objectives of pay transparency, fairer crunch practices, and better flexible working arrangements," dubbing it "a landmark moment for the Rockstar Game Workers Union, and hopefully for the industry as a whole" – and now, the company's heads have responded. As per a statement sent to IGN, they're apparently willing to meet with the union representatives.

"We strive to make the best games possible by giving our talented teams world-class work environments and ongoing career opportunities," Rockstar writes, first seeming to outline its company values.

"We have fostered a culture which is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness, and where we support and reward the team across all levels of the business through competitive compensation and benefits policies."

The studio then states, "We are proud that as a result, our employee retention is well above the industry standard" – a notable assertion considering the situation at hand. Rockstar's concluding words here are what really stand out, though: "We have received a request from a union seeking to discuss voluntary recognition. We value an open and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders and will arrange to meet."

That's certainly good to hear.

Here's hoping that the outcome is just as good. As it stands now, Rockstar's legal dispute with the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain is also ongoing.

Fired GTA 6 developer accusing Rockstar Games of union busting says playing the blockbuster will "probably just bring back too much."

Rockstar developers in the UK are seeking official union recognition from the GTA 6 studio's bosses, who were accused of union busting in 2025 after firing 31 workers involved in union activity. If Rockstar devs are successful in their bid, they'll join Zero Parades creator ZA/UM in history as one of the first formally acknowledged games industry unions in the UK.

Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) Union president Alex Marshall is confident Rockstar can afford such a milestone. The organizer says in a June 30 press release, "GTA 6 has reportedly already generated more than $3 billion in preorder sales. Rockstar bosses can easily afford to sit around the table with the people whose hard work created these games, and give them a meaningful voice in their workplace."

Rockstar itself has not revealed GTA 6 pre-order revenue, and that $3 billion estimate seems to stem, at least in part, from University of Virginia assistant professor of business Anthony Palomba saying recently that Rockstar parent company "Take-Two shares rose almost 3% in early trading when preorders opened, and some analysts modeled as much as $1 billion in revenue in the first hour alone." Take-Two hasn't commented on this analysis, though the publisher is clearly expecting GTA 6 to be its golden calf – it predicts, in a recent financial report, that the game will contribute to "$8 to $8.2 billion" in sales for fiscal year 2027.

What Rockstar devs are asking for in return, says Rockstar North production co-ordinator Shanti Easton-Steel, is for executives to acknowledge "our key objectives of pay transparency, fairer crunch practices and better flexible working arrangements."

"This is a landmark moment for the Rockstar Game Workers Union, and hopefully for the industry as a whole," Easton-Steel says. "It's thanks to the hard work of so many of our members – both those currently with us and those who were fired last October – that we are now in a strong enough position to pursue formal recognition."

Rockstar and the IWGB's legal dispute over those 31 fired union members is ongoing, with the final trial set to run from September 10 to October 15, according to the workers' union.

Fired GTA 6 developer accusing Rockstar Games of union busting says playing the blockbuster will "probably just bring back too much."

Rockstar has joined in on saying GTA 6 will be best on PS5, with no mention of Xbox at all in a new ad for the game.

Last week amid all the GTA 6 news coming out from Rockstar Games, Sony announced to the world that "GTA 6 plays best on PS5." And while there was never going to be a world where a console manufacturer says its version isn't the best, PlayStation didn't do an amazing job of backing up the claim. Instead of speaking about GTA 6's performance, it simply detailed that the game will support DualSense features – and no, with no specifics about the game, just the generic DualSense features we've had since 2020.

While it's probably safe to say it will be best on PlayStation in the absence of an Xbox Series X Pro or PC version at launch, it's clearly just another form of marketing to push those who are going to pick up a console when GTA 6 comes out.

Now though, in a Twitter post advertising pre-orders for the upcoming open-world game, Rockstar includes the "plays best on PS5" logo as part of its advertising graphic for the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition, urging players to pre-order the game digitally, since there won't be a proper physical release, as copies will be a code in a box.

Not only does this "plays best on PS5" tagline also now appear on the game's official site if you follow the link in that ad, but many fans have noticed that there was no mention of Xbox anywhere in the ad, either. The tweet ends with "Pre-Order Now on PlayStation 5," and the graphics included don't mention Microsoft's console.

While it's likely part of a marketing deal with Sony, some are shocked that "Rockstar Games didn't even acknowledge the existence of Xbox Series in this ad."

Obviously, the Xbox Series X and PS5 are close enough in specs that you'll likely have a good experience with the game either way. That is, unless you're willing to shell out $900 for the PS5 Pro, in which case, that's probably going to be the best way to play… until GTA 6 on PC comes out.

And ultimately, who cares? A bit of a performance bump probably isn't worth shelling out for an entire new console, especially with the near-constant price increases as of late.

Despite Sony saying GTA 6 "plays best on PS5," Xbox reports "record orders" of Rockstar's new game.

With the GTA 6 price set at an $80 baseline and jumping to $100 for the expanded Ultimate Edition, some especially patient and dedicated Xbox players have resorted to dark arts in order to save money on Rockstar's long-awaited open-world epic: Microsoft Reward points.

As PC Gamer spotted, one GTA 6 hopeful cashed in years of waiting by pre-ordering the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition through the power of Microsoft points, earned through the company's bizarre rewards program.

Reddit user CarolinaKing704 "pre-ordered 5 months early" after stockpiling Microsoft points, saying, "I've been waiting for [this] moment for almost 3 years." Ironically, GTA 6's repeated delays helped fans hoping to pay off the game purely through such points, as it gave them more time to save up. The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition will run you a whopping 100,000 points.

A screenshotted purchase shared by another Reddit user sees Microsoft user HugoWheynow say, "Thank you Rockstar for all the delays, which allowed me to have all these extra months to save my Microsoft Points."

This rewards program has been around for a while, and folks have used it to buy games before. In replies to CarolinaKing704, other users say they've got their own point fortunes to spend, but caution folks to make sure they only use points for payment, rather than splitting costs between payment methods, to avoid a potential repeat charge come launch day. As CarolinaKing704 says in a reply: "They charge you immediately if you use your Microsoft funds to pre-order."

Microsoft Rewards is pretty strange as loyalty programs go. On top of gaining points from purchases, like buying and playing games on Xbox, you can also earn points just by using Bing, Microsoft's widely unloved search engine. There's a whole array of mobile game-like tasks that you can complete for points, many of them imploring users to "search on Bing," "download the Bing app," or get a friend to use Bing because "true friends use Bing together," don't you know.

When you first create your account, you're also prompted to pin the rewards program to your taskbar for a whopping 50 points. Microsoft really wants people to use its in-house tools and programs, and it's willing to invent and dole out an imaginary currency to make it happen. Microsoft also wants you to use that currency quickly, so keep a close watch on expiration dates or inactive periods, especially for gift cards purchased with points.

Various "levels" of Microsoft Rewards feature different caps and payouts, with the max, "Level 2 + Xbox Game Pass Ultimate," granting 20 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases in the Microsoft Store, and up to 250 points per day just through Bing searches (five points per search, with 150 points coming from PC and 100 from mobile use).

True min-maxers may use discounted or complementary Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions as a means to access the highest tier of reward points, and some people have even set up scripts to run Bing searches for them (which may, some users admit, get you flagged for exploits). Of course, this program does require using Bing if you want to really push it, but just playing games and occasionally keeping tabs on your account can add up in the long run.

Despite Sony saying GTA 6 "plays best on PS5," Xbox says it's "had record orders" of Rockstar's new game: "People should wait for real data".

With GTA 6 pre-orders finally live, folks are securing their copies of Rockstar's long-awaited new Grand Theft Auto entry – on both the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, apparently.

Although there's no PC release in sight just yet, GTA 6 sales have reportedly been flying on the PS5. Heck, as per IGN's own findings, "PlayStation is outperforming Xbox by a rate of 8-to-1" – although it's important to note that there is some nuance to this (it's only taking into account pre-orders secured via its affiliate links)... but it's still impressive to see the PS5 version doing that much better in any context, admittedly.

We are talking about the console whose creator, Sony, feels confident enough to declare that "Grand Theft Auto 6 plays best on PS5," so I suppose it's not all that surprising – but Xbox doesn't want us to count it out so quickly.

In a new statement to Windows Central from an "Xbox spokesperson," Microsoft requests that people remain mindful of the circumstances surrounding stats like IGN's, as, like I said above, there's nuance to them. "This doesn't represent pre-order data," Xbox writes. "We've had record orders. People should wait for real data and not clicks on affiliate links."

Although it comes across as a bit direct – to say the least – it does imply that Microsoft's console isn't exactly struggling in the GTA 6 pre-order department. I honestly don't doubt that it's seen "record orders," either, simply taking into consideration the 13 years of built-up hype Rockstar's game has behind it.

I am interested to see what the actual numbers involved here are, however – but I doubt we'll get to until the game's November 19 release date draws a bit closer… at least.

As hardware like the Steam Machine gets more expensive, GTA 6 will have fans "eagerly" spending, analyst says.

Looking for something excellent to read this weekend? We published over 400 articles on GamesRadar+ this week, but here's our pick of the five stories that you absolutely need to read.

1. A match made in heaven: Star Wars, racing, and roguelikes combine in Galactic Racer

Star Wars has been in desperate need of something a little different ever since the Skywalker Saga collapsed. Perhaps it'll be Galactic Racer that reignites some energy into the franchise, a fast-paced racing game while blurs a development studio's expertise with Burnout and Need for Speed with the sort of lush, cinematic storytelling that Star Wars is known for delivering. We played the game ahead of its October 6, 2026, release date and the early signs are exceptionally promising.

2. Epic Games' CEO has a lot of opinions on Steam AI disclosures. None of them are good.

The use of generative artificial intelligence in video games continues to be exceptionally divisive, if not actively volatile. Recent comments from Epic Games' longtime CEO Tim Sweeney have only inflamed the conversation, as he simultaneously comes to the defense of Gen AI in certain cases and attacks Valve over its requirement that developers publicly flag when the tech has been used on Steam. This story has sparked a lot of discussion, so don't be afraid of adding your voice to the conversation.

3. "It's huge for us": Why Obsidian is finally ready to take Grounded 2 to PlayStation 5

If there's one thing that's clear from Xbox's somewhat messy approach to console exclusivity, it's that live service games will continue to be widely available – all in an effort to help build better, larger communities of players. Grounded 2 is a perfect example of this strategy in action. Obsidian legend Chris Parker walks you through all of it, the promise of the new Into the Abyss update coming this August, and the potential for the studio's survival game to grow to new heights on PS5.

4. What did we learn from the Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order campaign starting? Rockstar is ready to change open-world games forever

The silence surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 has been deafening. It's been over a year since the last trailer released, leaving nothing but space for rampant speculation. That's why it was so damn refreshing to see Rockstar come out this week ready to celebrate GTA 6 pre-orders going live. We got some controversial launch details, we got over 60 new screenshots, and even a bunch of new gameplay details. If anything, this is a time to remember that GTA 6 is not only real, but that it's actually coming November 19, 2026.

5. "Destiny 2 fell short of expectations": Understanding the crisis enveloping Bungie

It's been a difficult year for Bungie. The studio has enjoyed the highs of bringing Marathon online and the lows of having to abandon Destiny 2. This week, the crisis at the famed studio behind the creation of Halo hit another bump in the road, as PlayStation CEO Herman Hulst announced a restructure of the organization that has caused widespread layoffs and a massive shift in priorities. It's been disappointing to see the studio (responsible for revolutionizing the FPS genre twice over) impacted in this way, and it's difficult to see where it will go from here.

6. Shigeru Miyamoto created The Legend of Zelda. He has some things to say about the quality of its dungeon design

Shigeru Miyamoto is responsible for bringing some of the most iconic characters and worlds in the video game industry to life. It's rare for him to do interviews, which is why GR+ staff writer Dustin Bailey had to go all the way back to 1999 to find the legend commenting on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Miyamoto had a revelation during the development of this iconic adventure game, and it's one that clearly reshaped all of the games that followed.

GTA 6 theories are like mice. Each time you discover one, you should remember there are about 800 more living in your walls. And they're persistent, as I'm learning now that new screenshots have brushed off GTA fans' half-buried suspicion that a Red Dead Redemption 2 crossover is waiting for them.

Generally, I don't find this idea impossible. Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption are two of developer Rockstar's favorite children, and despite the fact that the franchises take place about 120 years apart, they're narratively linked: rough guys in a rough open-world make morally grey decisions and are allowed to slap prostitutes. GTA has plenty of Red Dead easter eggs, too, like a red John Marston shirt some NPCs can stroll around with in GTA 5.

But this GTA 6 theory is much more substantial than a cute wink and a boardwalk T-shirt. Fans think GTA 6's criminal protagonist Jason is related to Red Dead 2 antihero Arthur Morgan because they both have freckles and kind of a squash-like nose.

The 63 new screenshots Rockstar revealed this week alongside its GTA 6 Ultimate Edition announcement are currently refueling comparisons between the two world-weary men. Rockstar content creator Synth Potato comments on Twitter about the way Jason and Arthur both frown a lot, "Jason could absolutely pass as a direct descendant of Arthur Morgan, he's the spitting image of him."

Twitter account TheCassiniGames agrees in a post with, as of writing, over 33,000 likes, saying "Jason Duval from GTA 6 looks a lot like Arthur Morgan." The accompanying screenshot comparison shows Jason looking like a pouty Calvin Klein model, with a pair of lucite sunglasses, while Arthur Morgan looks like a guy with sun damage who fell off his horse.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see it. There are some situations that make me think, "these are just two white guys" – I have that thought a lot while watching reality TV like Love Island. And I'm thinking it now, partner.

GTA 6 pre-orders live - stock is flying and bundles are hitting the shelves.

GTA 6 and a string of other high-profile games might be forgoing discs altogether, but US physical game sales actually grew ever so slightly for the first time in 17 years.

Rockstar Games recently caused a big online hullabaloo after announcing that physical copies of GTA 6 won't actually contain a disc come launch, just a code that lets people download a digital version. Multiple retailers began dropping what will eventually become the biggest game of the year over its code-in-a-box plan, although Circana senior director and prominent analyst Mat Piscatella predicted this won't actually have any impact on sales..

Curiously though, Piscatella also shares that physical game sales in the United States actually enjoyed a rare glimpse of hope – for the first time since 2009's feverish peak, dollars spent on physical game releases shot up year-on-year by 3%.

US new physical video game software spending. 12 months ending May 2007-2026:

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-06-26T16:27:48.105Z

Physical game sales have been on a big decline since 2009's $11.5 billion record, but now "spending is up by 3% in the 12-month ending May 2026," according to Piscatella. Don't be too quick to celebrate now, collectors. This uptick is apparently not a sign of things to come, he says.

"The overwhelming majority of volume is done digitally now," Piscatella writes on social media. "The second hand market... doesn't really matter. More than half of all Xbox Series consoles in the US don't have a physical drive, while over a quarter of PS5s are the same. We likely have less than a decade left of physical software." Ominous indeed.

GTA 6 ignoring a real physical release is also worrying since the Rockstar Games behemoth is guaranteed to sell consoles, especially since it's not immediately coming out on PC, but many prospective console buyers might opt for hardware without disc drives thanks to the game's digital-only launch. I can only imagine that'll further snowball the death of boxed games, our ability to share them with people in our real lives, the preservation of art, and, you know, our ownership over the things we've paid for.

Analysts expect GTA 6 could sell up to 30 million copies at launch, but are unsure if it can "surpass the incredible longevity and massive sales of 5" in the long run.

Now that GTA 6 pre-orders are finally live and folks are spending their hard-earned money on Rockstar Games' next big hit, some of the community is sharing its dismay at the price… which, yeah, isn't exactly cheap.

In case you missed it, GTA 6 costs at least $80 – the Ultimate Edition, which controversially contains a lot of content people thought would be in the base game (you know, like certain customization shops and whatnot), is a whopping $100.

Unsurprisingly, this pricing has caused a bit of a stir within the community… but one Rockstar veteran doesn't think it's unfounded for the new Grand Theft Auto to cost so much.

Former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij, who worked on GTA 3, 4, San Andreas, Vice City, and more, responds to a disappointed fan over on Twitter, who notes that the GTA 6 price is a good $20 more than "the average AAA game" in Canada. Vermeij writes, "GTA 6 is not an average AAA game."

Although he doesn't explicitly say that the game is priced reasonably here, the implication is evident: its cost makes sense.

After all, a solid 13 years have passed since GTA 5 graced us with its ever-chaotic presence on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – it's been cookin' in fans' minds for over a decade, and they're ready for it… even if that means paying a hundred buckaroos or so.

Comments under the ex-developer's reply prove as much, too, with the original poster even saying, "That's true." Another person jokes, "Some might say it's [a] quadruple-A game."

Interestingly, though, Vermeij previously shared that GTA 6 likely won't cost $100 – and while it's admittedly only $80 in the United States ('only'… hahaha), the Ultimate Edition is $100. I personally just can't wait to see what the stats reveal about its sales, honestly.

More GTA 6 features may have been leaked by Amazon: switchable protagonists, in-game social media, and more.

If an Amazon Brazil description is to be believed, GTA 6 will have in-game social media and missions that have you switching between its two main characters. Neither is too surprising – GTA 5 had us ping-ponging across three guys and digital feeds absolutely littered GTA 6's first trailer – but the features are still notable since Rockstar Games has yet to say anything about them.

So, take everything from here on out with a grain of salt, but Amazon Brazil's store description for the GTA 6 pre-orders lists a bunch of features – some of which we've known about for a while (Vice City's here, for example), some of which we could've guessed (dynamic weather's also in), and some of which haven't actually been confirmed by Rockstar Games.

GTA 6's main difference from past titles is that this one's the kind-of love story of Jason and Lucia, so, naturally, both are playable, but the sequel's also seemingly borrowing from its older sibling with duo missions. Sounds like we'll be able to swap who we control in the middle of missions, if not the entire open world, similarly to GTA 5.

The other notable feature is the built-in social media. Amazon's listing mentions players can watch videos, follow influencers, and maybe even get clued in on open-world activities via Jason or Lucia's phone.

Grand Theft Auto's no stranger to dabbling in made-up internet spaces. GTA 4 had the very of-its-time internet cafes for browsing websites, and GTA 5 plopped the entire digital space onto our characters' phones, complete with a stock market and websites to purchase all types of goods. As the series often does, it sounds like GTA 6 is once again updating its satire for the modern era, only this time perhaps with interactive doomscrolling and brainrot content in case you need a break from doing that in real-life. The ultimate gaming power fantasy, eh?

Keep in mind Rockstar Games hasn't outright confirmed these features or really delved into the game at all, so don't get too attached to the idea of Grand Theft TikTok.

Analysts expect GTA 6 could sell up to 30 million copies at launch, but are unsure if it can "surpass the incredible longevity and massive sales of 5" in the long run.

Analysts predict GTA 6 will obviously be a massive success at launch, but they don't necessarily see it becoming as much of a long-term juggernaut as GTA 5 has been.

Rockstar Games finally revealed details about the upcoming open-world game yesterday, with the GTA 6 price sitting at $80. Speaking to GamesRadar+ David Cole, founder and CEO of DFC Intelligence, says that despite the fears some had that the game would be $100, this price "was not a surprise." Serkan Toto, founder and CEO of Kantan Games, tells us it was "expected" that the game wouldn't launch at the $70 standard, but thinks "expecting $100 was not crazy in my book. However, that sum would probably be a tad too much even for GTA 6."

As Cole says, "the biggest surprise was that the physical version does not have a disc," and despite some pushback on this, it probably won't end up effecting sales all that much.

We asked Cole how many copies he expects GTA 6 to sell now that it has an official price point. "Our estimate for day one sales, mostly pre-orders, is 25 million," he tells us. GTA 5 previously sold 11 million copies in its first day when it launched back in 2013, so more than double of that would certainly be huge, especially with 13 years of hype behind it. Meanwhile, Toto, reckons it could be even higher: "30 million units should be possible."

However, GTA 5 went on to sell almost 230 million copies during the 13 year wait between it and GTA 6, but this isn't a feat that Cole expects is guaranteed to be surpassed by the latest entry. "It could be hard for GTA 6 to surpass the incredible longevity and massive sales of 5," Cole explains. "We think GTA 6 will be stronger upfront but whether it can have the remarkable lifespan of its predecessor remains an open question."

"The biggest issue GTA 6 has is the limited installed base of the platforms it is launching for," Cole explains, adding: "Obviously, GTA 5 gained the bulk of its sales over time as it launched for new platforms and PC. We expect GTA 6 to follow a similar trajectory."

Analyst Joost van Dreunen,once the CEO of games market research firm SuperData Research who now teaches at the NYU Stern School of Business, also expects "GTA 6's long-term sales to underperform compared to its predecessor." He explains: "When GTA 5 launched in 2013, the industry was about to enter a historic growth spurt, and over the decade that followed, global consumer spending tripled from $76 billion to $236 billion. I don't expect to see that repeat in the years ahead."

Even so, Van Dreunen is also optimistic about GTA 6's sales. "I predict GTA 6 will at least match its predecessor's launch and sell-in to at least 30 percent of the overall console audience, totaling 38 million copies and just over $3 billion in sales within its first 12 months," he tells us. And, while he thinks its overall sales figures might end up lower than GTA 5, "per player spending will be higher" as he expects Rockstar to "cater to a smaller player base that it will nonetheless monetize quite effectively."

GTA 6 could get a physical disc release only a month after its code-in-a-box launch, it's claimed, which could be good news for collectors and bad news for FOMO

Fans are warning that the free month of GTA+ included in your GTA 6 pre-orders will be automatically set to renew, so make sure to turn that off if you don't want to pay for more.

Rockstar Games confirmed the GTA 6 price yesterday ahead of the pre-orders going live today, which also included the biggest info dump we've had about the game probably ever. The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition was confirmed, as was the fact that there's exclusive content locked behind the $100 version, as well as other annoying bits of news like GTA 6 physical copies being a code in a box.

Rockstar also confirmed that anyone who pre-orders GTA 6 will get a cosmetic pack inspired by GTA Vice City, but there's another pre-order bonus in there in the form of a free month of GTA+. Rockstar's own subscription gives you benefits on GTA Online, as well as access to a number of games in the Rockstar back catalogue like Bully, Red Dead Redemption, and GTA 5.

However, fans have noticed that the free month of GTA+ will automatically renew for anyone who activates it. It's worth noting that it's not a case of pre-ordering GTA 6 and you'll automatically be put on the subscription, instead you'll be sent an email with an activation code for GTA+, and once you activate it then it will be put on an auto-renew process.

So, PSA to anyone who pre-orders GTA 6 and activates their free month of GTA+ – go and check your console's subscription tab and turn off auto-renew for GTA+. Unless you fancy keeping it, in which case do nothing, I guess?

Multiple retailers drop GTA 6 after physical version is confirmed to be a code in a box.

GTA 6 will reportedly be getting a physical release after all, with disc editions of the game rumored to release in December 2026.

Rockstar Games finally releasing more details about GTA 6 – such as the GTA 6 price, details about the Ultimate Edition, and other assorted bits of news – is something that you would expect to bring universal happiness given how much people have been dying to hear anything about the game. However, some of Rockstar's decisions have drawn ire, such as exclusive content locked behind the $100 Ultimate Edition and the news that there won't be a proper physical release, as GTA 6 physical copies are a code in a box.

Polish outlet PPE (via machine translation) is reporting that this won't be the case forever though. According to a source who previously kicked off rumors that Rockstar was going to delay physical copies of GTA 6 (which is somehow potentially both true and untrue), Rockstar's open-world title will get a disc release after all. Their source reports that the code-in-box versions of GTA 6 will be the original run, with an option for a disc edition to follow sometime in December 2026.

If this turns out to be true, this somewhat confirms the theory that Rockstar is delaying physical copies of the game to avoid widespread leaks like we witnessed earlier this year with Resident Evil Requiem.

However, there's also a cynical part of me that sees this as an extension of the way Rockstar treats PC releases. Releasing a PC version of Rockstar games a year or so later always results in double dip sales as people buy it on console out of FOMO before buying it on PC to get the best version. Take-Two undoubtedly knows this is a factor, and given that analysts predict GTA 6 not having a physical disc won't have any impact on Rockstar's sales, it's hard not to see this as a way to get FOMO sales from people who want a physical copy, hoping they'll drop another $80 on it weeks later once a real physical version releases.

Multiple retailers drop GTA 6 after physical version is confirmed to be a code in a box.

GTA 6 is, in effect, a digital-only release. You'll be able to buy physical boxes at retail come November, but those will only include a code to be redeemed for a digital copy of the game. For some boutique retailers that specialize in physical games, that doesn't exactly sound like a future worth supporting – which is why they've decided to drop GTA 6 pre-orders altogether.

One of those stores is VGP, a Canadian retailer that's become prominent in the collecting scene for its regular restocks of rare physical titles and its willingness to document such minutiae as, say, specific cart revisions of Nintendo-published Switch games. It's a go-to outlet for people who still care about physical games, and it has a standing policy of not carrying "code in a box" releases. That's not changing even for a juggernaut like GTA 6.

"For nearly 40 years, VGP has been committed to supporting physical media and preserving the value of physical game ownership," the retailer says in a message on Bluesky. "As part of that commitment, our company policy is that we do not carry physical products for video game consoles that contain only a digital download code."

VGP adds that "We want to be clear that this decision is not a reflection of the game itself. We have tremendous respect for Rockstar Games and the incredible achievement that Grand Theft Auto VI represents. Should Rockstar one day release a physical edition containing a disc in the box, we would be pleased to carry and support that version for our customers."

A similar statement came from another retailer I was much less familiar with: the US-based Loot Box Gaming. "We will not be supporting the release of GTA 6," the company says in a tweet. "When we started LBG, it was out of a love for our favorite form of media, gaming, as-well as the preservation of said media. If a product can’t honor the people who pay their hard earned money to purchase it, then we have no business trying to sell it to our customers whom we value above anything else."

Analyst Mat Piscatella suspects that GTA 6 won't see any notable negative sales impact from ditching the physical release, and he's providing some interesting context on similar releases. "30 video games have sold at least 1k units of code-in-box physical copies in the US so far in 2026," Piscatella says on Bluesky, covering everything from the Switch 2 version of Split Fiction to PC editions of 007 First Light. "In total, 146 video games have featured physical code-in-box SKUs to date in the US."

The supposed death of physical media has been greatly exaggerated over the past few years – I say, clutching each new PS5 disc I buy with increasing protectiveness – but it is absolutely disappointing to see what might just be the biggest game launch of all time ditch the disc.

Here are all the new games for 2026 and beyond you need to know about.

Like everyone else, I woke up this morning to the news that GTA 6 will be $80, and Rockstar is pushing the $100 barrier with a big ol' Ultimate Edition. Through bleary eyes, I was almost grateful to see that the Ultimate Edition was so expensive ahead of the GTA 6 pre-orders, since there'd be no chance I wanted it anyway – in most cases, I'd be willing to pay extra not to get all the game-breaking nonsense included with a typical deluxe edition or pre-order bonus, since it almost always ruins the experience of a first playthrough.

But then, buried deep within Rockstar's promotional materials, I saw this line: "Ultimate Edition bonuses become available to Jason and Lucia across their story, with new items uncovered behind each chapter." Could it be? Has Rockstar really broken the curse of the ill-considered deluxe edition bonus? Maybe those bonus outfits really are $100 worth of cool after all…

A not-so-deluxe experience

While the threat of $100 games hasn't truly come to fruition, analysts have noted that the average price that people are paying at launch is creeping ever higher thanks to pricey deluxe and collector's editions. Sometimes, those deluxe editions contain something genuinely meaningful, like a season pass filled with post-launch DLC or some genuinely fun cosmetics.

Far more often, though, deluxe editions are sold with the promise of overpowered weapons that'll give you some kind of major advantage in the game, and early unlocks for skill points and items that you'd otherwise get access to naturally. Maybe I'm just not enough of a capital-G Gamer to get it, but I generally like playing a game in order to, you know, play the game – not to have a bunch of powerful items dropped on me from minute one that completely wreck the progression curve.

One of the most egregious examples of a wildly unnecessary deluxe edition comes from The Last of Us Part 1, where you can pay $10 extra to increase your crafting, healing, and reload speed and make your rifle clips bigger. In other words, you "get" the privilege of ignoring the game's natural progression curve, killing the tension of the early survival elements because you got suckered into paying extra for the "best" experience.

I'm not even typing in the bonus item codes that often come with my physical PS5 games – not that I'll be getting a physical copy of GTA 6 – until I've gotten the platinum trophy these days. Does that put me at risk of forgetting these codes exist altogether? Absolutely. Am I going to miss the items I'm not getting? Extremely doubtful.

Ultimate questions

For GTA 6, Rockstar seems to have actually considered the balance issues. The items in the Ultimate Edition and pre-order pack seem to be mostly cosmetic, but there are hints of more meaningful gameplay bonuses: a handgun with an enhanced scope, vehicle shops with exclusive mods, and a gang shop with "some special items and distinct contraband," for example. (Thankfully, the pre-order bonuses do seem to be largely cosmetic.)

But rather than lavishing you with all these extra items the second you boot up the game, the Ultimate Edition apparently gives us access to them as GTA 6 progresses – just like how additional content should unlock over the course of a game, whether or not you've spent extra real money to get access to it. Most GTA games have featured some variation on the rags-to-riches storyline, and I'd definitely prefer for Jason and Lucia to spend a little more time in their rags era before all this extra content comes through.

But while this all addresses one big problem with deluxe editions, I have one other notable concern: why is any of this locked behind a $20 paywall in the first place? Certainly, that seems to be the community's bigger concern with the Ultimate Edition. A pair of vehicle mod shops, a clothing store, a tattoo shop, and a salon are all exclusive to this version.

Rockstar's press material doesn't make clear whether features like vehicle customization or, uh, facial hair are exclusive to these Ultimate Edition shops, or if these locations simply offer some unique items for personalization. The answer to that question will likely affect how much goodwill there is toward the upgrade, but let's be real: after a 13-year wait, plenty of fans will be willing to pay any price to get as much GTA 6 as they can.

I haven't yet decided whether I'm opting for the $100 version – in part because of just how much I question the value of slicing off content like this – but the news that everything it contains is actually gated over the course of the game has taken the wind out of my initial "absolutely not" reaction. And I don't know, isn't there something charming about Jason in that dirtbag mullet?

After all this waiting, here's hoping GTA 6 stands among the best GTA games of all time.

Games industry analyst Mat Piscatella says that despite the controversy, GTA 6 being a code-in-a-box release will likely not have any impact on its sales.

Rockstar Games finally confirmed the GTA 6 price ahead of pre-orders going live at midnight on June 25 (so if you're in New Zealand, you can already pre-order it), and despite fears it would end up running players $100, it's going to follow Mario Kart World's price, releasing at $80 (although with exclusive content locked behind the Ultimate Edition, it'll likely be $100 for a lot of people).

However, one big source of negativity is the news that GTA 6 will not have a proper physical edition. Yes, the game will appear on store shelves, but it's going to be nothing more than a code in a box – not even a Nintendo-style key on a disc. But despite uproar from fans, Piscatella – senior director and video game industry advisor at Circana – reckons that outrage isn't really going to move the needle.

Anyways, devil's advocate here, but given the % of PS5/XBS consoles out there without a disc drive one could argue code in box may provide a better opportunity for retailers, particularly those that don't sell used.In any case, can't say this changes anything regarding total sales expectations.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-06-26T13:14:13.486Z

Posting on BlueSky, Piscatella says: "Devil's advocate here, but given the % of PS5/XBS consoles out there without a disc drive one could argue code in box may provide a better opportunity for retailers, particularly those that don't sell used." He adds, "In any case, can't say this changes anything regarding total sales expectations."

He also reacts to a ResetEra post querying if any physical game collectors will boycott GTA 6 due to its lack of physical release, saying, "Any time you hear 'boycott' when it comes to a video game it's time to raise the forecast."

Obviously GTA 6 is going to sell millions regardless, but the digital-only release is a massive disappointment. Not only does it hurt physical game collectors and preservation going forwards, but it's likely going to result in confusion for any unaware parents buying the game for their too-young-to-be-playing-it children for Christmas (who will then be met with an undoubtedly massive download). It also effectively allows Rockstar to control the entire market on GTA 6, as no one will be able to trade in their copy of GTA 6 or sell it second-hand.

GTA 6 isn't $100, but its real price proves games are only going to get more expensive.

GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games has unveiled plans for its $100 Ultimate Edition, but fans are unhappy with some of the features locked behind the more expensive version.

Earlier today we got perhaps our biggest info dump about GTA 6 to date, with Rockstar Games dropping details about the GTA 6 price, finally confirming that yes, it will be more expensive than most games with its $79.99 price, but won't be $100 like some feared. But Rockstar also announced the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition which will run you $99.99, and features a bunch of cosmetics and other stuff you expect to see in these expensive editions.

However, alongside the news that GTA 6 physical copies being a code in a box, Rockstar fans aren't exactly happy with this news, as the details of the Ultimate Edition also revealed that some features will be paywalled behind this more expensive edition. Car mod shops One-Eyed Willie's and Rideout Customs, clothing store Stock 305, hair salon Sara's Unisex Salon, and tattoo shop Electric Fang Tattoo all say they are "only open for business with the Ultimate Edition."

On top of that, there's also going to be some exclusive side missions. One sees you "raid the compound of one of Southside Vice City's loudest and most socially active gangs and escape safely to score some special items and distinct contraband," while another has you "track down a variety of abandoned classic and work-in-progress project cars and revitalize them to their former glory in this special commission from eccentric collector and local fixer, Wyman."

Over on the GTA subreddit, fans aren't happy with the amount of content locked behind the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition. Rather than excitement over the new details, the top post on the subreddit at the time of writing reads, "Rockstar I love you and all but locking content behind editions of the game like this is pretty egregious. This shouldn't be things you hide behind an ultimate edition of the game for players who just want to buy the basic game." Another user adds, "That's a huge red flag for me. Remember it's a SOLO GAME, this is about STORY MODE."

Meanwhile others are comparing it to GTA 4, which had everything included in the base game and then two big expansions. Elsewhere, some are seeing this as a symptom of how successful GTA Online was for GTA 5, with one user saying, "It was a huge mistake to support GTAO. It has spilled out onto single player too now." Others are now worried about what GTA Online is going to look like in GTA 6 when it comes to microtransactions: "Online is gonna be shark card central…"

Elsewhere, people fear what it might mean for the quality of the campaign, with one user saying "I won't be surprised if this game has the shortest and simplest singleplayer campaign of any GTA game and is completely focused on multiplayer and Shark Cards." We'll just have to wait and see, but it's certainly put a damper on today's news for some.

Possible new GTA 6 details continue to come early from European retailers as another says Rockstar's next game has performance and quality modes, but I'm not buying it.