For years, a dark cloud has hung over the GTA 6 hype train: the fear of a $100 price tag. Analysts warned of it. Rumors insisted on it. And fans braced for the most expensive standard edition in gaming history. Now, thanks to a new interview with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, that cloud has finally lifted.
The $100 Fear, Put to Rest
In a wide-ranging interview with The Game Business, Zelnick was asked whether GTA VI might feature in-game advertising as an additional revenue stream. His answer was revealing—not just about ads, but about pricing.
“Very difficult for me to believe that we would want to have interstitial advertising in a game that someone paid 70 or 80 bucks for would seem unfair,” Zelnick stated.
That single sentence does two things. First, it rules out intrusive in-game ads for the standard experience. Second, and more importantly, it anchors the game’s price firmly in the $70–$80 range. For months, speculation had run wild that GTA VI could be the first game to breach the $100 barrier for a standard copy. Zelnick’s comments suggest those fears were greatly exaggerated.
What This Means for Pre-Orders
With the price now effectively confirmed, attention turns to when players can actually secure their copy. To date, every major GTA VI update has landed within days of a Take-Two earnings call. The next call is scheduled for May 14, 2026 —roughly six months ahead of the game’s November 19 release.
Zelnick has already confirmed that marketing will ramp up “this summer,” and May comfortably fits that description. It’s a safe bet that pre-orders will open around that time, likely accompanied by the long-awaited third trailer.
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A Game for Everyone
Elsewhere in the interview, Zelnick addressed concerns about the 13-year gap between entries. Far from being a problem, he argued, it could work in the game’s favor. Fans who needed parental permission to buy GTA V are now adults with their own disposable income. And crucially, GTA VI is designed to welcome newcomers, requiring no prior knowledge of the series.
For the millions waiting, the message is clear: the game is coming, it’s affordable, and soon—very soon—you’ll be able to secure your place in Vice City.