GTA 6 price of $80 revealed - and 'physical' edition will not contain a disc

Rockstar Games has set the price for Grand Theft Auto VI at $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for a premium tier, with pre-orders opening at midnight local time on 25 June ahead of a 19 November launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S [1]. The publisher confirmed that physical copies of the game will contain a digital download code rather than a disc, a move that drew immediate reaction from collectors [1]. Freelance journalist Vic Hood described the standard price as "fairly reasonable" but noted the absence of a disc "may irk some physical collectors" [1]. She added the decision "reduces the amount of rebuying and reselling and helps prevent leaks" [1]. Joost van Dreunen, a professor at NYU Stern, called the two-tier pricing a "clever strategy" by Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive [1]. "Take-Two is catering to the largest possible audience while offering die-hards an upgraded tier," he said [1]. Players who pre-order digitally can begin pre-loading the title on 12 November, the same date physical versions become available to support pre-loading [1]. The release date follows two prior delays; Rockstar confirmed the game was in development in February 2022, and a major leak of unfinished footage in September of that year contributed to the schedule slipping [2]. Set in the fictional state of Leonida, based on Florida, the game follows the criminal duo of Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, marking the first playable female protagonist in a 3D Grand Theft Auto title [2]. Rockstar North, the Edinburgh-based studio that has led development on the series since Grand Theft Auto III in 2001, is the primary developer [6]. The studio was founded as DMA Design in 1988 and became part of Rockstar Games after Take-Two Interactive acquired it in 1999 [6]. Hood suggested the $79.99 price point could influence the broader industry. "The price of game production has been increasing and if GTA 6 can lead the charge for a price increase that is palatable for players, it's likely other studios will follow suit," she said [1]. The franchise's last main entry, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold over 220 million copies since its September 2013 release, making it the second-best-selling video game of all time [5].