After two delays and almost three years of trailers, the finish line is finally close. Instead of refreshing the news every hour, use the wait. Here is our checklist to get you hyped, prepared and safe before launch day.
GTA VINovember 19, 2026Get hyped
1. Rewatch both trailers
Trailer 1 broke records with 93 million YouTube views in 24 hours. Trailer 2 hit 475 million views across platforms in its first day. Watch them again and look for small details: signs, cars, places in Leonida. You will spot something new every time.
2. Catch up on the Extended Look
The 26-minute gameplay showcase from August 27, 2026 showed scuba diving, fan boats, store robberies, racing, parachuting and slow-motion aiming. Our Extended Look recap lists everything that was shown.
3. Meet the characters
Get to know Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval before you play as them, plus supporting characters like Cal Hampton, Boobie Ike and Raul Bautista. Our characters page has them all.
4. Learn the map regions
Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park: learn the names now and you will feel at home on day one. Start with our map and locations guide.
Get ready
5. Check your edition and pre-load date
The Standard Edition costs $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition $99.99. Every pre-order includes the Vintage Vice City Pack. Pre-load starts on November 12, and physical copies contain a download code, not a disc. Compare everything in our editions and price guide and check the release date page.
6. Claim your PlayStation bonus
Pre-ordering digitally on the PlayStation Store? It comes with one month of GTA+. You can claim it until March 31, 2027, so do not forget about it.
7. Make space on your console
Rockstar has not announced the file size of GTA VI. That means you should clear some room now, just to be safe. Delete games you have finished and move old captures off your console.
Play while you wait
8. Replay the GTA V story
GTA V is still one of the best games around, with more than 230 million copies sold. Play through Michael, Franklin and Trevor's story again, or read our GTA 5 story recap to remember all three endings.
9. Go back to the original Vice City
GTA VI returns to Vice City, so why not visit the 2002 version? It is set in 1986 and stars Tommy Vercetti. Our From Vice City to Leonida guide covers the whole series history and the classic cheat codes for some old-school fun.
10. Try GTA RP
On PC, roleplay servers turn GTA V into a living city where you can be a cop, a mechanic, a taxi driver or a criminal. It is the perfect way to practise living in a GTA world. Read How to play GTA RP, learn the slang with our GTA RP terms guide, and pick a busy server below or on our server list.
11. Watch RP streams
Not ready to roleplay yourself? Watch the pros. GTA streaming is huge in 2026: in July, Kick averaged 112.3k viewers for GTA, ahead of Twitch with 68.6k. NoPixel V even started a closed beta on September 8, 2026 with about 450 creators. Find live streams on Oggo Live.
Live now: GTA V
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Stay safe
12. Avoid spoilers, leaks and scams
The closer we get to launch, the more fake "leaks" appear. Some are just made up for clicks, others try to steal your account. Follow these simple rules:
- Only trust official Rockstar channels for news about GTA VI.
- Never download "early access" files, "beta keys" or "cheat tools" for GTA VI.
- Never log in to your PlayStation or Xbox account through a random link.
- Mute words like "GTA 6 ending" on social media if you hate spoilers.
The final countdown
That is your list. Rewatch, prepare, play GTA V or jump into roleplay, and stay away from scams. Before you know it, November 12 will be here and the pre-load bar will start moving. See you in Vice City.
