Most GTA 6 pre-orders choose $100 Ultimate Edition
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Take-Two Interactive's chief executive, Strauss Zelnick, has said that most pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are for the pricier $100 (roughly £80) Ultimate Edition rather than the $80 Standard Edition, attributing the trend to "avid consumers" willing to pay more for exclusive content. Speaking to CNBC, Zelnick said overall pre-order demand has been "much better than expected", a notable outcome given the criticism the game's pricing structure attracted when first unveiled.
The Ultimate Edition bundles exclusive vehicles, stylised weapons, outfits, tattoos and hairstyles, plus five in-game-only shops covering vehicle modifications, clothing, tattoos and beauty treatments — extras that proved contentious among fans at launch. The strength of pre-order sales has prompted Take-Two to raise its earnings forecast for fiscal year 2027 ahead of GTA 6's release, now set for 19 November.
- Zelnick says "avid consumers" are driving Ultimate Edition pre-order demand
- $100 edition outselling $80 Standard Edition despite pricing backlash
- Take-Two raises FY2027 earnings forecast ahead of 19 November launch
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Take-Two is the publisher behind Rockstar Games, the studio making Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the most anticipated video games ever due to the huge success of its predecessor. The game is being sold in two versions: a Standard Edition at $80 and a pricier $100 Ultimate Edition that bundles extra in-game items such as vehicles, outfits and access to special shops. That premium pricing drew criticism from some fans when it was announced.
Strauss Zelnick is the chief executive of Take-Two Interactive, the company that owns Rockstar and reports on how the game is selling ahead of release. Pre-orders allow players to reserve and pay for a copy before a game comes out, and publishers often use early sales figures as a signal of demand and to help forecast revenue.
GTA 6 is due out on 19 November, and how well it sells matters financially to Take-Two as one of the industry's biggest releases, as well as to the wider games industry, which has faced questions over rising game prices and how much extra content publishers can charge for.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the pricing model argue that Take-Two is simply responding to what players themselves are demonstrating through their wallets: many fans place real value on exclusive vehicles, cosmetics and in-game venues, and a tiered system lets committed enthusiasts pay more for extras while casual players can still buy the standard $80 edition. They see this as normal market segmentation, no different to special editions in film, music or other entertainment industries, and note that no one is forced to buy the pricier tier to enjoy the core game.
The case against
Critics contend that a $100 price point, especially when built around exclusive cosmetic shops and status items, pushes gaming further towards a model where the most dedicated (and often younger or more impressionable) fans are encouraged to spend disproportionately for content that could reasonably have been included as standard. They worry that framing strong Ultimate Edition sales as validation risks normalising ever-higher prices and shop-style monetisation industry-wide, entrenching a trend that erodes the idea of a complete game for a single upfront price.
Coverage
- GamesRadar+ — 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”
- Eurogamer — GTA 6 might not cost $100, but most of the people pre-ordering it are buying it at that price, Take-Two reveals