Why GTA 6 Fans Are Preordering A Game They Still Haven't Seen Properly Played

One of the biggest pop culture events of the new millennium is nearly upon us. The release of "Grand Theft Auto VI" is expected to be an absolute juggernaut. Gamers have been waiting 13 years for the follow-up to "GTA 5," and after many delays, Rockstar is delivering the game mere weeks from now. Pre-orders are through the roof even if the "GTA 6" physical edition doesn't include a disk. But one can't help but wonder: Why are people pre-ordering a game en masse when it hasn't properly been revealed?

Rockstar confirmed a lot about gameplay during the "GTA 6" extended look on Netflix. Up to that point, it had just been a few trailers and a whole bunch of rumors to go off of. But here we are, less than a month away from launch, and we haven't really seen the game properly played. There's so much that has yet to be revealed, especially for a piece of media this high-profile.

The "GTA 6" launch trailer also included some new reveals, but nothing groundbreaking. So, that brings us back to the question: Why are people still preordering a game they haven't fully seen in action, and seemingly doing so happily? There are multiple reasons, but it boils down to two things: FOMO, and Rockstar's history as a gaming studio. Those alone are enough to get a great many people to pull the trigger.

Undoubtedly the biggest factor is fear of missing out on what is expected to be a global cultural event. It's going to make the release of movies like "Avengers: Endgame" or "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" look like child's play. That may sound dramatic, but it absolutely isn't an overestimation of what's about to go down.

Some reports have claimed that the release of "GTA 6" could cost the U.S. economy $1 billion in just one day, but regardless of the dollar amount, you can bet that many people will be taking the day off to play the game as soon as it launches. If a movie makes $1 billion during its entire run at the box office, that's a huge deal. This game is going to have a multi-billion-dollar global footprint within days — not weeks.

In addition to the FOMO, on a more practical level, there are also some pre-order bonuses for "GTA 6" which sweeten the pot for players. For those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition, there is a "Vintage Vice City Pack" and a free month of GTA+ on offer. All of the pre-orders come with special revolvers, personalized weapon variants, exclusive Vice City outfits, special Safe House vehicles, and more. That's a lot to miss out on for consumers who are fairly certain they're going to buy the game anyway. So why not get the most out of it with a pre-order?

The other major factor beyond the video game itself is the company behind it. Rockstar Games has a truly ridiculously great track record of pleasing their fans. Yes, that absolutely includes the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, dating back to its inception. "Grand Theft Auto III" was one of the games from 2001 that changed gaming forever, shifting from a top down approach to an open world format and helping to make the franchise what it is today.

But there are plenty of great Rockstar games that aren't "GTA," and that's the bigger point. "Red Dead Redemption" and "Red Dead Redemption 2," in particular, are amongst some of the most beloved games of the 2010s. Rockstar has a track record of taking what worked before and building on top of it to produce something even more impressive, more immersive, and more satisfying. That's why buying a copy of "GTA 6" not quite sight unseen, but certainly not fully revealed, isn't terribly concerning for a lot of folks.

In the digital era, scarcity isn't really a thing, but anyone who wants a physical edition (even without a disk) might perceive a level of scarcity. That too may be motivating some of the pre-orders. But ultimately, it comes down to Rockstar's legacy of delivering generational games and wanting to be in on the shared cultural event of the year, if not the decade. Those are great reasons to throw down some hard-earned money on a game prior to release.

"Grand Theft Auto VI" releases for PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. The PC release is coming at a later date.