After more than a decade of leaks, speculation and delays, Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally entering its launch stretch.
Rockstar Games’ next open-world blockbuster is set to be one of the biggest entertainment releases of 2026, not only because of the scale of the series but also because of how long players have been waiting for it. Grand Theft Auto 5 was released in 2013 and has since become one of the best-selling games to date, with nearly 230 million copies sold.
Its follow-up will take players back to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictionalised version of Miami, and expand beyond it into the wider state of Leonida. The game will follow two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, in what Rockstar describes as its “biggest, most immersive evolution” of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.
Here is everything we know so far.
When is GTA 6 being released?
Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released on November 19, 2026.
The game is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X and S. A PC version has not yet been announced. This follows Rockstar’s usual pattern of launching Grand Theft Auto games on consoles before bringing them to PC.
Orders opened globally on June 25, through the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Rockstar Games Store and major retailers.
Players who order the digital version will be able to preload the game from November 12, one week before launch. Physical versions will also be available from November 12 to support preloading.
How much will GTA 6 cost?
The standard edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 is $79.99 (Dh295). The Ultimate Edition is $99.99.
That puts GTA 6 above the long-standing $69.99 price point for major blockbuster games, although fan reaction so far is more focused on the contents of the physical edition than the cost.
Will the physical edition include a disc?
No. The physical version of GTA 6 will come as a code in a box rather than on a disc.
That means players who buy a boxed copy will still need to download the game digitally. The decision has already caused some frustration among collectors, particularly those who prefer owning games on disc or reselling physical copies after playing them.
From Rockstar’s perspective, the move is more practical. A code-in-box release makes preloading easier, reduces the risk of early leaks and limits second-hand sales. It also reflects the wider direction of the gaming industry, where even many physical releases now require large downloads and online activation.
Is GTA 6 single-player only?
At launch, Rockstar described GTA 6 as a single-player experience.
The company has not announced an online-style multiplayer mode for November. That does not mean multiplayer will not come later. Grand Theft Auto Online became a major part of GTA 5’s long life, generating years of updates and revenue, and it would be surprising if Rockstar did not eventually build an online world around GTA 6.
What comes with the early-order bonus?
All orders and purchases made before November 20 will include the Vintage Vice City Pack.
The bonus leans heavily into nostalgia for the series’ past, particularly the style and excess of Vice City. It includes a 1955 Vapid Stanier sedan, which can be stored in the Shore Court personal garage near Ocean Beach. The garage includes a weapon locker and a secure place to deposit stolen goods to be fenced.
The pack also includes outfits and hairstyles for Jason and Lucia. Jason gets a pastel linen suit and vintage hairdo, while Lucia receives a red sequinned minidress and curls.
There is also a weapon pattern inspired by Tommy Vercetti’s famed palm tree shirt from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, allowing players to apply a tropical design to most guns.
What is in the Ultimate Edition?
The Ultimate Edition adds a range of exclusive in-game content spread across Jason and Lucia’s story.
The bonuses include premium vehicles such as the Grotti Cheetah, a mid-1990s sports car with retro-futuristic livery, and Jason’s safehouse vehicles, including a Dinka Enduro motorcycle and a Crest kayak.
There is also a Shitzu Squalo watercraft docked at Washington Beach, fitted with an explosives-laden weapons crate, and a 1967 Vapid Dominator Buggy designed for off-road driving around Mount Kalaga and beyond. That buggy comes with access to Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, which includes a weapon locker and a secure place to deposit stolen goods.
For weapons, the Ultimate Edition includes his-and-hers Hawk & Little Morgan revolvers with Vice City-inspired details, as well as personalised variants of Jason’s Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia’s Klose K17 pistol.
It also includes exclusive outfits, tattoos and cosmetics, including the Vice City Style collection and Goodtime Gear, a capsule collection inspired by Macca the Gator, a character from a hit TV show within the game world.
Some shops and services appear to be exclusive to the Ultimate Edition, including Rideout Customs, Sara’s Unisex Salon, Stock 305, Electric Fang Tattoo and One-Eyed Willie’s mod shop. Electric Fang Tattoo features more than 50 designs for Jason and Lucia by artist collective Faile.
There are additional activities, including a gang-compound raid on the PTT Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store and a Classic Car Collection commission, where players track down abandoned vehicles and restore them for eccentric collector Wyman.
Will GTA 6 be available in the UAE and wider Gulf?
In the UAE, there is currently no indication that GTA 6 will face restrictions. Orders are expected to be available through major digital storefronts.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, the situation is less clear. Reports and social media posts have suggested the game may face restrictions in some GCC countries, but no official ban has been announced by Rockstar, Take-Two or regulators in those countries.
The speculation appears to come from a PlayStation FAQ for a GTA+ promotional offer, which excludes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. However, exclusion from a promotional offer is not the same as a ban on the game itself.
Still, there is context behind the concern. Previous Grand Theft Auto titles have faced restrictions or delayed releases in parts of the region because of mature content, including violence, criminal activity, drug use and explicit themes. GTA 6 has not yet received its final age rating.
