Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin. Grand Theft Auto 6, the long-awaited open-world follow-up to one of the most successful games ever made, is supposed to release this fall. Normally, games start taking pre-orders the moment the title is announced. GTA 6 is a notable exception to this rule. But the wait to pre-order the game before knowing if it’s any good is about to end.
Several Best Buy-affiliated partners have received messages regarding a GTA 6 campaign slated to begin on May 18. Retail partners like these share personalized links or codes with their respective audiences in exchange for an undisclosed payment from the retailer. Since GTA 6 is such a high-profile game, participants in those programs might want a heads-up to prepare marketing to encourage people to pre-order it. Presumably, everyone else won’t get a similar email until pre-orders are actually open.
If it seems strange that it’s taken so long for GTA 6 pre-orders to arrive, it’s worth considering that we still don’t know how much the game will actually cost. Rockstar Games is also notorious for delaying its titles. These two factors make it safer to avoid asking for money too early. Given how much money GTA Online rakes in for Rockstar Games, it’s not like the developer is hurting for cash.
Are we getting another GTA 6 trailer on May 18?
Beyond pre-orders, there’s good reason to believe we are about to embark on a new marketing blitz for the crime simulator game. As reported by Kotaku, Sony recently emailed PlayStation 4 owners, encouraging them to upgrade to PlayStation 5 for GTA 6. Sony is working closely with Rockstar to market the game, as evidenced by the disclaimer that both GTA 6 trailers have been captured on PS5 hardware. There are also whispers that, for all intents and purposes, Sony is treating GTA 6 like a first-party game.
If you’re not in the business of putting down money months before you can actually own a product, both of these tidbits should still perk up your ears. They signal that the marketing machine is starting to rev up behind the scenes, and that could mean that a third GTA 6 trailer is imminent. Rockstar’s gotta announce the start of pre-orders somehow, right?
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