The Wait Is Almost Over: 'GTA 6' Cover Art Is Here and Preorders Open Next Week
After years of waiting, months of silence, and two delays, Grand Theft Auto VI is finally starting to feel real. Rockstar Games announced Wednesday that preorders for the most anticipated video game in years will go live June 25, 2026 — and dropped the official cover art to go along with it.
The Preorder Date
Preorders for GTA 6 will launch on June 25 on the PlayStation Store and Xbox digital storefront, as well as at other select physical retailers, for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game. The announcement came via Rockstar's official social media channels Wednesday morning with no prior warning — classic Rockstar. The game's official website was also refreshed alongside the announcement, swapping in a sweeping golden-hour view of Vice City complete with glowing skyscrapers, cargo ships, and a waterfront Ferris wheel.
The November 19, 2026 release date appears to be locked in. With preorders now opening five months out, every indication is that the game is genuinely on track after two prior delays.
The Cover Art
The cover art follows the traditional picture collage format of previous Grand Theft Auto games.
It features protagonists Jason and Lucia front and center, an alligator, a character named Boobie Ike, and other imagery pulled from Vice City and its surrounding Leonida landscape. A helicopter cuts across a pastel sky, a motorcycle pops a wheelie, and a flashy sports car sits prominently in frame — exactly the kind of chaotic, sun-soaked imagery longtime fans of the series will recognize immediately. The art is also available as a free downloadable wallpaper through Rockstar's official website.
Rockstar used the cover reveal to share a brief story setup as well, confirming that a routine job pulls protagonists Jason and Lucia into something bigger — though details beyond that remain under wraps.
The One Big Unknown: Price
Rockstar and parent company Take-Two have not confirmed a price for GTA 6. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has previously floated the idea of a $70 or $80 price point in earlier comments, and there has been considerable speculation the company could push past the industry's current $70 standard given the scale of the release. Some estimates have put the game's total development budget north of $1 billion, making it one of the most expensive entertainment products ever produced.
The preorder announcement also reaffirms that GTA 6 will launch exclusively on consoles initially, with a PC version expected to follow sometime later — a pattern consistent with Rockstar's release strategy for previous Grand Theft Auto titles.
What to Expect June 25
There is no new trailer yet, which has surprised some fans. Rockstar released GTA V's third trailer around this same point in its marketing cycle ahead of that game's launch, so a new video dropping on June 25 alongside the preorder launch would not be out of character.
For now, players can add GTA 6 to their wishlist on the PlayStation Store or Xbox digital storefront to be notified when preorders go live. Rockstar has also cautioned fans to beware of preorder scams in the lead-up to the official June 25 date.
GTA 6 arrives November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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