Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) is set to be one of the biggest game releases of the decade. After 13 years since GTA 5, Rockstar’s next open-world adventure will take players back to Vice City on November 19, 2026. Whether you’ve been counting down the days since the first trailer or are just starting to get excited, here are seven ways to prepare for launch day.
01
Clear your calendar for launch day
Plan ahead, don't make arrangements you'll only cancel
Nothing else on this list really matters if you haven’t got the free time to sit down and play GTA 6 once it releases. If you’re a die-hard fan and have been waiting over a decade to play it, consider blocking out some time in your work and social calendars.
While booking time off work may not be an option for everyone, you can at least try to strike a few deals with partners and parents to keep your schedule free of social obligations. Friends want to meet up? Any other weekend will suffice, thank you!
GTA 6 will have two editions for players to choose from. The Standard Edition includes the full game, while the Ultimate Edition adds a range of extra in-game content. This includes vehicle mod shops, safehouse vehicles, Vice City styles, personalised weapon variants, exclusive vehicles and more.
The Standard Edition will cost £69.99 / $79.99 USD / €79.99, and the Ultimate Edition will set you back £89.99/ $99.99 USD / €99.99. Both editions also include the Vintage Vice City Pack and one month of GTA+ when preordered.
Whether the extra content is worth the additional cost comes down to personal preference. If you’ve made your decision and know you’ll be playing on day one, preordering means one less thing to worry about before launch.
During longer gaming sessions, you’ll need something to keep yourself fuelled. While nothing beats a well-balanced diet, having a few snacks on hand is a convenient way to keep yourself going without unnecessary trips to the kitchen.
Make sure you’ve stocked up ahead of release to make sure you don’t have to drag yourself away from Vice City just when things are getting really interesting.
This year has been a busy one for games. From Forza Horizon 6 and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag: Resynced, to Control Resonant, Pragmata, 007 First Light and Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, there’s plenty to keep players occupied. However, whenever the release calendar gets busy, everyone’s backlog tends to grow.
If there’s anything you’re intent on finishing before the end of the year, now is the time to do it. With just over a month until GTA 6 releases, that’s plenty of time to work through some of those games you’ve been meaning to complete. Some can even be finished in 15 hours or less.
Wait until GTA 6 is released and you risk letting them go unfinished for much longer, or even forever.
05
Find something to play while you wait
Crimson Desert will keep you busy till November 19
Perhaps you’ve already cleared your backlog, but still have an itch to play something while waiting for GTA 6. Fortunately, we’ve put together a list of games to play before GTA 6 to help tide you over.
Whether it’s Crimson Desert and its vast open world, The Blood of Dawnwalker for some vampire action, or Red Dead Redemption 2 to get yourself ready for another Rockstar experience, our recommendations cover a range of ways to scratch that itch.
06
Check your controller and charging set-up
Don't let a lack of battery power kill your launch-day buzz
Is your controller starting to show signs of wear and tear? Is that analogue stick beginning to drift, or is a bumper button beginning to stick? Perhaps your rechargeable Xbox controller battery pack barely lasts 30 minutes before needing a recharge.
Now’s the time to check your gear and replace anything that’s on its last legs. There’s nothing worse than your controller giving up the ghost mid-session when you’re fully immersed in a game.
If you’re planning to play for several hours at a time, make sure you’ve got a reliable way to keep your controller charged, too. A spare battery pack or charging cable could save you an untimely interruption.
Digital preloads for GTA 6 are scheduled to begin at local midnight on the November 12 for those who have pre-ordered the game. While the install size may vary by platform, it’s worth making room on your console ahead of time.
Between now and then, do a bit of storage spring cleaning. Remove any games you’ve finished and don’t plan to revisit soon, as well as those you’ve been saying you’ll get around to but realistically aren’t going to play. Anything you finish as part of your backlog clear-out can be removed, too.
For those with slower internet connections, starting the preload as soon as it’s available will give you the best chance of being ready for launch. It also means that you can pause and resume the download overnight to avoid hogging your bandwidth during the day when other devices might need it.
That way, when November 19 rolls around, you’ll be ready to jump into Vice City rather than watching a progress bar crawl towards 100 percent.
Chris has been covering games for over 10 years for various brands, including PCGamesN, GameRant, Destructoid and Twinfinite. He's written thousands of guides and reviews during that time, and is an expert on action RPGs, shooters and racing games. He's also quite partial to a good indie game, having covered them extensively throughout his career.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
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