Most GTA 6 pre-orders choose $100 Ultimate Edition
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Take-Two Interactive's chief executive, Strauss Zelnick, revealed that most pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are for the pricier $100 (roughly £80) Ultimate Edition rather than the standard $80 version, putting to rest early doubts about the tiered pricing model. Speaking to CNBC, Zelnick said overall pre-order demand had been "much better than expected", a striking outcome given the backlash the pricing structure attracted when it was first announced, and one that underlines strong consumer appetite for the long-awaited title ahead of its release.
The Ultimate Edition includes exclusive vehicles, stylised weapons, outfits, tattoos and hairstyles, along with five in-game-only shops for vehicle modifications, clothing, tattoos and beauty treatments — content that had drawn criticism from fans as pay-to-access extras. Zelnick attributed the skew towards the premium tier to "avid consumers" willing to pay more for these exclusives. Buoyed by the strength of pre-order sales, Take-Two raised its earnings forecast for fiscal year 2027, with GTA 6 now confirmed for release on 19 November.
- Most GTA 6 pre-orders are for the $100 Ultimate Edition, not the $80 version
- Take-Two's Zelnick says demand has beaten expectations
- Strong pre-orders led Take-Two to raise its FY2027 earnings forecast
New here? Start with this
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