Rockstar Games plans to hand critics their digital copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 before October wraps up. That gives reviewers upwards of three weeks to roam the sprawling state of Leonida ahead of the game's November 19 release date, according to industry insider NateTheHate in a ResetEra forum thread.
The timeline settles months of debate over how the studio would handle early coverage without compromising its secrets. Back in May, Brazilian reporter Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe reported that Rockstar considered flying journalists to a secure, undisclosed location to play the title under direct supervision. But locking writers in a room for a project expected to require at least 50 hours of playtime proved thoroughly impractical. Leonida is larger than any open world Rockstar has created to date, leaving reviewers plenty of ground to cover across Vice City and the surrounding terrain.
Controlling the Leaks
An embargo will lift prior to launch day, according to details originally reported by Insider Gaming before the post was removed. Handing out access so far in advance signals confidence, but it is not without hazards.
Rockstar has already spent months fighting off early disclosures. A leaker calling themselves Cyberleek posted a string of unauthorized GTA 6 clips before claiming to quit the scene, leaving developers on edge. The broader industry has not had an easy year either. Unsanctioned gameplay footage from other high-profile console releases, including Marvel's Wolverine and Silent Hill: Townfall, slipped onto the internet ahead of their scheduled embargos. Rockstar aims to blunt that danger by skipping early physical discs for PlayStation 5 and Xbox systems, avoiding retail leaks and broken street dates.
A segment of the fanbase has argued that a game with massive pre-order totals hardly needs critical reviews to sell copies. Take-Two Interactive chief executive Strauss Zelnick dismissed that view back in May, highlighting the commercial and reputational value of critical reception. Rockstar releases have historically landed average Metacritic scores in the mid-to-high 90s, setting a punishing standard for the newest entry.
Whether it hits those marks remains a subject of fierce debate. Insider Gaming sparked arguments across forums after its podcast team suggested GTA 6 might score between 83 and 87 on Metacritic, warning that sky-high anticipation might work against it.
With access expected in reviewers' hands before November begins, players will find out shortly whether the verdict matches the unprecedented hype.
GDFiled by The Games Desk
Consoles, handhelds, PC gaming and the platforms and hardware behind them.
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