Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders are exceeding expectations, with a notable number of players opting for the more expensive Ultimate Edition over the Standard edition, according to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar parent company Take-Two. The Ultimate Edition is priced at $100 (£90), while the Standard edition costs $80 (£70).
Zelnick stated in an interview with CNBC that the strong pre-order performance skews towards the premium version. He theorized that this trend reflects the pre-ordering demographic, suggesting that "most avid consumers are the ones who are pre-ordering now." These dedicated players, he implied, are more inclined to value the additional content offered in the Ultimate Edition.
The Ultimate Edition includes a suite of in-game items and exclusive shops not found in the Standard version. These extras comprise exclusive vehicles, stylized weapon variants, unique outfits, tattoos, and hairstyles. A significant component of the Ultimate Edition is access to five exclusive in-game shops, covering areas such as vehicle customization, apparel, tattoo parlors, and beauty salons.
In anticipation of Grand Theft Auto 6's November 19 release, Take-Two has recently revised its earnings forecast for fiscal year 2027 upwards. Zelnick also addressed Sony's decision to discontinue PlayStation disc manufacturing, noting that Take-Two's business is predominantly digital and therefore unaffected by this shift.
Rockstar Games is preparing to release an "extended look" trailer for GTA 6 later this month. This trailer will debut as a timed exclusive on Netflix, six hours before its release on YouTube. Zelnick described this approach as "an example of Rockstar trying new things" and suggested it could encourage Netflix subscriptions.