Grand Theft Auto VI is the most preordered game in the history of the PlayStation Store and the Microsoft Store ahead of its November 19 launch, as detailed by PlayStation and Xbox.
Players can preload the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Rockstar Games is not releasing a physical disc edition, opting instead to sell boxes containing download codes, which has driven massive digital store traffic.
Grand Theft Auto VI is now only one week away! Thank you to everyone in the community for your incredible support. There’s still time to pre-order and pre-load so you’re ready on launch day. Code-in-box versions are also available now for pick-up at retailers worldwide. pic.twitter.com/au3uAf6p5w
Anticipation for the title is high. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold nearly 235 million copies since its release in 2013.
The Guardian previewed early gameplay at Rockstar North, offering a look at how protagonists Jason and Lucia operate in VICE City. Rob Nelson described them as “a younger couple with their backs against the wall,” according to The Guardian.
Jason and Lucia start their criminal careers with smaller jobs like hotwiring cheaper cars and picking basic locks. Certain parked vehicles require specialized tools acquired later in the narrative, though players can still carjack moving vehicles.
Players can scope out robbery locations beforehand to locate back entrances, safe codes, or disable security cameras. In a demonstrated jewelry store demo, a guard opened fire, escalating the job into a high-speed police chase involving cars and helicopters.
Players can freely switch between Jason and Lucia for most of the campaign, though specific story acts lock the perspective to one character. Outside of missions, the pair can text or call each other, or go on dates involving drinks, gym visits, or robbing liquor stores, Mashable reported.
The Guardian revealed a wildlife logging feature similar to Red Dead Redemption 2. Players use binoculars to spot and record 62 different types of birds across the streets and swamps of Leonida.
BREAKING: Here is The Guardian’s full exclusive GTA 6 story from their Saturday edition. It was literally just sitting there on the app, I checked it out of curiosity. Can’t believe no one else noticed. pic.twitter.com/AwW5ysh9A8
Rockstar also built mechanisms into Grand Theft Auto VI to encourage player empathy. Nelson said that the studio incorporated ways for players to show empathy if they choose to do so.
Preorders have surged past the $1 billion mark, according to Forbes. The title arrives on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Effect of the GTA 6 launch on the world economy and businesses: – 12.5 million gamers in the US plan to take time off to play it, with an estimated $1 billion in losses – 83 thousand days have been booked off in the UK, costing businesses $15.8 million – Logitech is giving all… pic.twitter.com/BmA03dPCoJ
