"Grand Theft Auto VI" is once again the center of attention in the gaming community. Recent reports suggest that US retailer Best Buy may have accidentally leaked the pre-order date for "GTA 6" through an affiliate marketing email. The date is rumored to be May 18, 2026, approximately five months before the game's scheduled November 19 release.
According to media reports, the email sent to Best Buy's affiliate marketing partners indicates that a related promotional event will run from May 18 to 21, pointing directly to the highly anticipated "GTA 6."
Outlet Insider Gaming stated that it had confirmed the email's authenticity through two different affiliate partners who forwarded it directly, noting the email originated from a common affiliate marketing platform like Impact. However, neither Best Buy nor Rockstar Games has officially announced any pre-order information.
The news quickly prompted fans to connect the potential pre-order date with the long-rumored third trailer. As pre-orders are typically accompanied by new promotional materials or official announcements, many players speculate that Rockstar might release the third "GTA 6" trailer around the time pre-orders go live, possibly even revealing the date at the end of the trailer.
Additionally, IGN pointed out that the community has been heavily debating the email's legitimacy, focusing on details such as its use of the abbreviation "GTA 6" instead of the full title, "Grand Theft Auto VI."
This isn't the first time "GTA 6" fans have been sent into a frenzy of speculation over minor clues. In the past, some in the community even tried to predict the third trailer's release date based on the planetary alignments at the time of every Rockstar trailer release since 2007. This level of intense scrutiny reflects how fan anticipation has reached a boiling point after a long drought of new information.
It has now been over a year since the second trailer was released, with the first having debuted back in 2023. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar's parent company Take-Two, previously stated that the game's marketing would accelerate in the summer ahead of its launch, suggesting more news could indeed be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the sheer scale of "GTA 6" continues to draw attention. Business Insider recently reported that Take-Two has invested an estimated $1 billion to $1.5 billion in the game's development. While Zelnick did not confirm the figure, he acknowledged that the project is "indeed very expensive."
With pre-order rumors, anticipation for a third trailer, and discussions about pricing all heating up simultaneously, every development in the lead-up to the official launch of "GTA 6" is likely to keep gamers worldwide on the edge of their seats.