Gaming
Games
GTA 6 is nearly here: here’s how to prepare for launch day
Vice City is calling, but are you ready? From clearing your gaming backlog to sorting your pre-order, here’s how to prepare for GTA 6.
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
© Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
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!
02
Choose your edition and secure your pre-order
The Vintage Vice City Pack comes with preorders
© Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
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.
03
Stock up on snacks and drinks
Make a supply run before you shut yourself away
© Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
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.
04
Clear any big games from your backlog
Forza Horizon 6 isn't going to complete itself
© Microsoft/Playground Games
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
© Pearl Abyss
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
© Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
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.
07
Make room for GTA 6 and preload it
Get your game locked and preloaded
© Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
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.
08
Everything we know about GTA 6 so far
Story
Details
All you need to know about the release date, characters and more
What animals have been revealed so far?
What we want to see in multiplayer
Everything we learned from the new footage
Surprising details even die-hard fans might not know
All confirmed songs, albums and radio stations
Ranked by how much fans want to play it
Every GTA 6 plane, car, bike and helicopter revealed so far
The features fans want to see
The definitive ranking of the series' main characters
That we spotted in Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2
What to play while we wait for GTA 6
All the mainline games ranked
A closer look at Grand Theft Auto VI's map
The top escapades from throughout the series' history
An overview of the different formats and features
Key details that you might have missed
Her story, personality and role explained
His backstory, traits and role explained
About the author
