The ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ grind officially begins as pre-orders open June 25 (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON, June 19 — Pre-sales of Grand Theft Auto VI, the feverishly anticipated video game release, will begin on June 25, Rockstar Games said yesterday.

GTA VI, due to be released on November 19 after two delays, is the latest entry in the blockbuster franchise and is set to arrive more than 13 years after GTA V, the second best-selling video game in history.

Rockstar Games, owned by New York-based Take-Two Interactive, announced the date in a post on X, saying pre-orders would begin across digital platforms and at select retailers.

Rockstar also released the game’s official cover art but did not disclose pricing.

Analysts believe the game will be available at a base price of US$80 (RM330), based on recent comments from Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick and industry reports.

Some analysts and online rumours had speculated the figure could climb toward US$100 and reset industry norms.

As popular as it is notorious for its sexual and violent content, the franchise has allowed players to roleplay as criminals doing dirty deeds across sprawling cityscapes since its first entry in 1997.

The newest game was originally due to be released in 2025, with a trailer having shown that it would be set in Miami-like Vice City and would feature a playable female protagonist for the first time.

Critics have from the start accused Grand Theft Auto of glorifying violence and encouraging players to engage in criminal behaviour — allegations rejected by Take-Two Interactive.

GTA players sell drugs, fight, rob, go on car rampages and more. Gameplay options also include assaulting sex workers and visiting strip clubs, raising the ire of activists.

Asked about the soaring expectations, Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick recently called the situation “very, very exciting and terrifying because the expectations are so high.”

The new game returns to Vice City and follows a criminal couple, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.

The release’s 2013 predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, reached US$1 billion in sales within three days — at the time the fastest any entertainment release had hit that mark.

It has since sold more than 230 million copies, trailing only Minecraft among the best-selling games ever and its online version has remained a steady earner for more than a decade.

The game’s development has not been without turbulence.

A 2022 breach saw unfinished footage leaked online in one of the largest such incidents in gaming history, and Rockstar’s firing of dozens of employees last year drew accusations of union-busting from labour organisers. — AFP