A 13-year wait, a budget of nearly two billion dollars, and the most anticipated release in the history of the industry—it would seem that GTA 6 pre-orders should have shattered all imaginable records. However, a survey conducted by GameStar among nearly 11,000 people paints an unexpected picture.
Only 17% of respondents have already pre-ordered. Of these, 14% chose the $100 Ultimate Edition and only 3% the standard version. Paradoxically, fans either don’t buy at all or opt for the most expensive edition.
The rest are distributed as follows: 45% plan to buy the game later, 25% are not interested in purchasing it at all, and 13% are undecided and want to see gameplay first.
These figures are intriguing, especially compared to data from PC Games: 34% of respondents said they would wait for testing and full gameplay, while another 34% are not interested in the game at all. The discrepancy with GameStar is explained by the different methodology—in one case, they asked about the pre-order itself, while in the other, they asked about intentions. But the trend is clear: there’s no massive pre-order excitement.
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5 Reasons Why Fans Are Reluctant to Pre-Order GTA 6
So, with all this colossal hype, why are people so hesitant to part with their money? There are several reasons, and they all point to the same thing.
First, the price. The standard version costs $80—$10 higher than the typical price for AAA titles. The Ultimate Edition is $100. For many, this is a significant barrier. In Russia, the standard version converts to approximately 8,000 rubles, and the Ultimate Edition to almost 10,000. These are amounts that give even the most dedicated fans pause.
Second, the lack of gameplay footage. By the time pre-orders opened, Rockstar hadn’t shown any full-fledged gameplay footage. “No gameplay, no money,” users succinctly put it in the comments. 13% of GameStar respondents explicitly stated that they were waiting for in-game footage. And this makes sense: for $100, you want to know exactly what you’re getting.
Third is the lack of a PC version at launch. Rockstar hasn’t officially announced a PC release for GTA 6. This is one of the most common complaints in the survey comments: “No PC version, no pre-order.” Many of the 45% of those “waiting” are actually PC owners who simply have nothing to buy on November 19th.
Fourth is the digital format without a disc. Physical copies of GTA 6 will not include a disc, only a download code. Collectors are disappointed: a box without contents defeats the purpose of a physical release. Some retailers in North America have already announced they will stop selling the game in this format.
Fifth is the anticipation strategy. Some fans are deliberately delaying their purchase: some are waiting for discounts, others for the first patches, and others simply don’t see the point in pre-ordering the game four months before release. Digital codes don’t expire like physical copies, so there’s really no need to rush.
What’s wrong with GTA 6: criticism of the high price, lack of a disc, and gameplay delays
The GTA 6 pre-order controversy didn’t erupt out of nowhere. There are several triggers, each affecting different segments of players.
Pricing was the first stumbling block. Yes, $80 isn’t $100, as many feared. But the very fact that the industry is testing a new price ceiling is alarming. Players are rightly wondering: if GTA 6 costs $80, what will happen to other AAA games tomorrow?
The lack of a disc is the second and perhaps most prominent issue. The box will only contain a code. This means that:
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the game cannot be resold after completion;
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the collector’s value of the edition is close to zero;
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physical stores lose their raison d’être.
Rockstar is making this decision deliberately: the lack of a disc blocks the secondary market and prevents leaks from early shipments. But this doesn’t comfort fans. Demands for the disc’s return are being heard on social media, and some retailers have already refused to sell it.
The third factor is the lack of gameplay content. Four months before release, players don’t have a clear idea of what the game looks like in motion. This creates a layer of uncertainty that many are unwilling to pay upfront.
Analysts, however, remain optimistic. According to Piper Sandler, GTA 6 will sell approximately 45 million copies by launch. The release is scheduled for November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. But whether fans are willing to pay $80-$100 for a digital copy without gameplay evidence is a question that polls leave open.
For now, fans are voting with their wallets: they’re pre-ordering, but mostly the Ultimate Edition, and even then in quantities that Rockstar is unlikely to be happy with. The rest are waiting. And this is perhaps the most sobering signal the industry has sent in recent years.
Summary: GTA 6 Pre-Order Survey Data
