Grand Theft Auto VI Pre-Orders Open June 25 at $79.99

According to ZeroHedge, Take-Two Interactive announced that its Rockstar Games studio will begin Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders on June 25, 2026, at midnight local time. The highly anticipated game is priced at $79.99 for the base edition and scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Wall Street analysts responded to the pricing and launch details, with Raymond James describing the terms as broadly in line with expectations and BTIG initiating coverage with a Buy rating.

Key takeaways
Take-Two Interactive will begin Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders on June 25, 2026, with a November 19, 2026 launch date for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
The base game is priced at $79.99, with an Ultimate Edition available for $100 including exclusive in-game vehicles, weapons, and skins
Raymond James analyst Andrew Marok described the $80 base pricing as in line with expectations and a fair trade given the game's massive scale and anticipation
BTIG analyst Clark Lampen initiated coverage of Take-Two with a Buy rating and $290 price target, citing the game as a catalyst for multi-year earnings improvement

Table of Contents
Pre-order details and pricing structure
Thirteen-year wait for major Grand Theft Auto release
Raymond James analyst assessment
BTIG initiates coverage with Buy rating
What to watch next

Pre-order details and pricing structure

Take-Two Interactive stated in a press release that Grand Theft Auto VI will launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 computer entertainment systems and Xbox Series X|S games and entertainment systems for $79.99. The game features a single-player experience set in what the company describes as the biggest, most immersive evolution of the series yet.

Pre-orders will begin at midnight local time on June 25, 2026, with two editions available at launch. The Ultimate Edition is priced at $100 and includes the base game plus a collection of exclusive in-game items including vehicles, weapons, character skins, and more.

According to Raymond James analyst Andrew Marok, the Ultimate edition pricing represents only a 25 percent premium to the base game, which would be the lowest percentage increase on an upsell edition in the post-Grand Theft Auto IV era for Rockstar. Marok noted that given Rockstar's convention of rounding to the nearest $10 for pricing, this is the closest figure they could have reached without over-pricing the SKU, as $110 would have been a 38 percent increase.

Thirteen-year wait for major Grand Theft Auto release

The last major Grand Theft Auto release was Grand Theft Auto V, which launched on September 17, 2013. Gamers have been waiting 13 years for a major Grand Theft Auto installment, according to the source.

Last week, Rockstar Games gave gamers what the source describes as the best look yet inside the new Grand Theft Auto game, which has excited players worldwide. This announcement comes after years of launch delays.

The extended development cycle between major Grand Theft Auto releases reflects the increasing complexity and scale of modern open-world game development. Major game franchises often see multi-year gaps between installments as studios invest in new technology, larger worlds, and more detailed gameplay systems. The 13-year gap between Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto VI represents one of the longer intervals between major franchise releases in the gaming industry, though the continued commercial success of Grand Theft Auto V and its online component may have influenced the development timeline.

Raymond James analyst assessment

Raymond James analyst Andrew Marok said the pricing for Grand Theft Auto VI and launch date is broadly in line with expectations. Based on commentary from management around pricing to value and making the game as accessible as possible to the broadest player segment, Marok stated he did not expect aggressive pricing on the base game, and $80 feels like a fair trade in that department.

The analyst noted that the price is slightly above the current industry norm of $70, and that some publishers including Nintendo have attempted to reset the bar at $80 with varying levels of success. Marok stated that if there is one game that can price at $80 without garnering significant player pushback, Grand Theft Auto VI is that game given its massive scale and anticipation.

The analyst also noted that Rockstar announced only two editions of Grand Theft Auto VI, which breaks with their pattern of three different launch SKUs per title, which was true for both Gen-7+ releases (Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2). Marok suggested the possibility that there could be another deluxe SKU announced when the gaming public receives more detail on Grand Theft Auto Online, as he would expect virtual currency bundles and/or Grand Theft Auto Online exclusive in-game items to be part of any premium edition that exists when Grand Theft Auto Online is confirmed.

BTIG initiates coverage with Buy rating

BTIG analyst Clark Lampen initiated coverage of Take-Two on the same morning as the pre-order announcement with a Buy rating and a 12-month price target of $290. Lampen stated that later this year, Take-Two is scheduled to release the next installment of its most important and commercially relevant global gaming franchise with the November 19 release date.

The analyst expects the title to catalyze a sustainable, multi-year improvement in earnings power for the enterprise, with BTIG estimating $10 in average earnings power over the FY27-29 timeframe. Based on other tentpole releases from the Rockstar label, Lampen stated there is precedent for multiple expansion throughout the pre-release marketing cycle.

The analyst sees a path to a higher share price over the balance of the year, which underpins the Buy rating and price target. According to the source, Take-Two shares were muted on Wednesday morning following the release, and for the next leg up, shares need to trade north of $250. The analyst's coverage initiation timing coincides with the pre-order announcement, suggesting Wall Street is positioning ahead of the November launch.

What to watch next

Investors and industry observers will monitor several key developments in the months leading to the November 19, 2026 launch. The source indicates that Rockstar has not yet announced details about the Grand Theft Auto VI Online launch, which could include additional premium edition SKUs with virtual currency bundles or exclusive in-game items. Any announcements regarding the online component of the game could influence both consumer pre-order behavior and analyst expectations for the game's long-term revenue potential.

Pre-order volume and consumer reception to the $79.99 base pricing will provide early signals about demand for the title. The source notes that Take-Two shares were muted on Wednesday morning following the announcement, and that shares need to trade north of $250 for the next leg up. Investors will also watch for any updates to the release timeline, given the source's reference to years of launch delays prior to this announcement.

The marketing cycle between now and November will likely include additional gameplay reveals, which could influence both consumer anticipation and Wall Street's earnings estimates for Take-Two's fiscal year 2027 and beyond.

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