Rockstar Opens GTA 6 Pre-Orders June 25, Take-Two Shares Rise Nearly 6%

Rockstar Games posted on X Thursday morning that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will open June 25 across digital storefronts and at select physical retailers. The announcement settled, at least temporarily, persistent investor anxiety about another delay to one of the most anticipated game releases in industry history.

According to Engadget, Take-Two had been signaling a summer marketing push ahead of the November 19 release date. The pre-order window opening roughly five months out matters because, as Engadget noted, Rockstar's previous delay announcements came around six months before the affected launch dates. Being inside that window without a delay notice is a meaningful signal.

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) shares closed up nearly 6% in Thursday's regular session, according to ZeroHedge and Stocktwits. The stock had traded mostly sideways since peaking around $262 in October 2025, per ZeroHedge.

Rockstar also released official cover art Thursday. As Engadget described it, the art follows the series' standard formula: stylized images of characters, weapons, vehicles, and animals set in the new Vice City environment. No new trailer accompanied the announcement.

What Rockstar did NOT provide: pricing. As Stocktwits reported, the company released no details on base game cost, special editions, or collector's packages. That gap is deliberate, and it's worth watching.

BMO Capital Markets analyst Brian Pitz said the pre-order opening next week should confirm base game pricing, and flagged higher-priced early-access SKUs as a specific variable to monitor. Pitz maintained his Outperform rating, Top Pick designation, and $280 price target on Take-Two, according to ZeroHedge.

The pricing question is not trivial. Stocktwits noted that industry executives have pointed out software pricing has remained largely flat for a decade despite sharply higher development costs. GTA VI has been in development for years and is widely expected to be the largest entertainment launch in history by revenue. Whether Take-Two prices the base game above the standard $70 will be one of the most-watched announcements in gaming this year.

GTA V launched September 17, 2013. That's a 13-year gap between major mainline installments, and it has generated an unusual level of pent-up demand. Rockstar delayed GTA VI multiple times, each time citing the need for additional development time, which frustrated both investors and the game's sizable fanbase.

Skeptics have a reasonable argument. Rockstar has a documented track record of announcing delays within six months of a planned launch, and a pre-order window opening does not equal a shipped product. Pre-orders can, in theory, be offered and then pulled back if a delay is announced afterward. The announcement removes some uncertainty, but it does not eliminate the possibility of a late delay. Engadget acknowledged this directly, noting that all current indications point toward the November 19 date holding, while stopping short of calling it certain.

That said, the logistics of opening retail and digital pre-orders globally represent a significant operational commitment. Walking that back would carry real reputational and financial consequences beyond investor relations, including retailer relationships and consumer trust built over a decade of waiting.

Reuters separately confirmed the pre-order date through CTV News Canada, adding no material new details beyond what Rockstar posted publicly on X.

ZeroHedge's framing leaned into the investor-sentiment angle and flagged its own prior coverage questioning whether Take-Two had been sandbagging guidance. Benzinga's headline called the announcement a delay-fear crusher, which overstates what a pre-order date confirms. It confirms Rockstar's current commitment, not the absence of risk.

Fans on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S can already add GTA VI to their wishlists on platform storefronts. As of June 18, pricing and edition tiers remain unannounced. When pre-orders open June 25, the base game price will likely become public, and any premium or early-access SKUs will come into view. That pricing decision, more than the pre-order date itself, will shape analyst estimates for Take-Two's fiscal year revenue projections tied to the November launch.