Rockstar Games opened digital pre-loading for Grand Theft Auto VI on Tuesday, letting players who pre-ordered the game begin downloading it nine days before it launches on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The download requires up to 212GB of free storage, according to Rockstar Games. On PlayStation 5, pre-loading began at midnight local time on November 10, while on Xbox Series X|S it opened globally at 12 a.m. GMT. Pre-loading installs the game in advance but does not make it playable early; the game will unlock at midnight local time on November 19.
The launch comes 13 years after Grand Theft Auto V set new records for gameplay and profitability. Grand Theft Auto VI is set in Leonida, a fictionalised version of Florida that includes a return to the Miami-inspired Vice City, and follows protagonists Jason and Lucia. Rockstar has also released a new batch of screenshots featuring the pair.
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, said on Monday that pre-orders are "tracking far in excess" of its initial expectations. In its fiscal second-quarter results, chairman and chief executive Strauss Zelnick said pre-orders continue to reach "unprecedented levels" and that the company expects "an historic year." Net bookings fell 18% to $1.60 billion in the quarter ended September 30, and Take-Two held its full-year guidance at $8.0 billion to $8.2 billion.
The physical edition of the game will contain only a download code, not a disc, and the standard edition is priced at 79.99 euros in Europe. No PC release date has been announced, despite speculation about a later launch.
Rockstar Games and PlayStation will also stage Grand Theft Auto VI: The Festival in Miami on November 21, two days after launch. The two-stage music event is headlined by Travis Scott, Cardi B, Metro Boomin and Justice, with tickets handed out through a lottery that closes on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
