While discussing pre-orders during an interview, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick reveals some surprising data regarding the Ultimate Edition of Grand Theft Auto 6. With the game now being under 100 days until launch, Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in the news quite a bit as of late. Take-Two is preparing a new wave of marketing ahead of the game’s November launch, which has continued to get people talking about the game.
In a surprising announcement, Take-Two announced a special Grand Theft Auto 6 event coming to Netflix on August 27. While the announcement was enough to confuse fans, the event sparked a bit of backlash due to the content being stuck behind a paywall before ultimately arriving on YouTube 6 hours later. Take-Two has attempted to clarify the event, teasing that the “must see event” will feel like a show, and it is ultimately targeting those who aren’t planning to buy it on day 1. Not surprisingly, the amount of people not planning to play it at launch feels like a number that continues to get smaller with the way the pre-orders have been going so far.
Fans Are Picking the Ultimate Edition of GTA 6
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While pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 originally opened on June 25, there has been enough time to see a major pattern develop. During a recent interview with CNBC, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick was asked about pre-orders and whether there was an even split between the Standard and Ultimate Editions of the game. Shockingly, Zelnick admitted that wasn’t the case and that players were picking the Ultimate Edition over the base version of the game. While he didn’t provide specific numbers, he attributed the fact that “avid” fans were likely the ones pre-ordering during this early period and the gap could narrow once more casual players began buying closer to launch.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Zelnick’s belief that hardcore fans pre-ordered the game so early is the reason for the Ultimate Edition jumping out ahead is likely only one piece of the puzzle. Another big reason why the more expensive Ultimate Edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 is leading is what it comes with. For $20 above the standard price, players are getting a lot of exclusive content, including a variety of shops like Rideout Customs and One-Eyed Willie’s. These two shops in particular allow players to customize and mod their vehicles. On top of that, there are exclusive weapons, cosmetics for Jason and Lucia, vehicles, and garages. There’s also a Classic Car Collection Special Commission and an exclusive Gang Compound with unique rewards as well.
New Questions Added!
GameRant Quiz
Regardless of which edition players are picking, the fact is that Grand Theft Auto 6 is putting up massive numbers already. While likely not a surprise, Zelnick previously called the start of the GTA 6 pre-order process as “exceptional” with many industry analysts indicating that Take-Two has already earned approximately $260 million from the pre-sales.
While the news so far has been very good for Rockstar and Take-Two, it hasn’t been without controversy. Some fans lament the fact that Take-Two continues to find ways to monetize the Grand Theft Auto franchise, though the biggest controversy is with physical copies. Grand Theft Auto 6 won’t have physical discs, so boxed copies are instead launching with a download code. Zelnick said “discs don’t really make sense for the consumer” and that digital is much more convenient since players have to connect online to register accounts anyway. Still, the CEO didn’t close the door entirely on discs in general, saying Take-Two developers could do proper physical releases “now and then” but for major launches like GTA 6, digital is the way forward.
- Released
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November 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
