Rockstar Games' upcoming title, Grand Theft Auto VI, will not feature an early access option, a decision Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick attributed to the studio's commitment to providing value to consumers. While early access has become a common incentive for premium game editions, Zelnick indicated that the pricing and feature decisions for GTA 6 are squarely in Rockstar's hands.
During a recent quarterly earnings call, Zelnick addressed investor inquiries regarding the game's pricing structure, which currently includes standard and ultimate editions. He explained that despite the significant hype surrounding GTA 6, which could have supported higher price points or additional paid features like early access, the development team aimed to offer substantial value within the existing offerings. "Given the hype around this title, I mean, I think we could have made any number of other pricing choices," Zelnick stated. "But as I said earlier, our focus is on delivering way more value than what we charge for something."
Take-Two views the current editions of GTA 6 as value-packed products. The company noted that preorders for the game are exceptionally high, although these can be canceled before the November 19 launch. This preorder activity contributes to Take-Two's cautiously optimistic outlook, with the company projecting GTA 6 to drive a 20% increase in revenue for the current financial year.
The trend of early access has grown in recent years, with publishers like Microsoft frequently using it to encourage sales of special editions. Titles such as Forza Horizon 5 and the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day have offered players headstarts via premium versions. However, GTA 6 is set to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Subscribers to Netflix will also have the opportunity to view an extended preview of the game on August 27.