GTA 6 pre-orders could be opening this Monday according to a new leak

We are slowly but surely approaching the launch date of the most anticipated game of the decade. Grand Theft Auto 6 might still be a few months away (barring ANOTHER delay), but it looks like the pieces are starting to fall into place for the eventual launch. The latest piece of information is quite interesting and concerns pre-orders for GTA 6.

According to several creators online, particularly Frogboyx1Gaming on YouTube and @videogamedeals on X, GTA 6 pre-orders are set to start from Monday, May 18th, 2026. The information was disclosed to these creators through a Best Buy affiliate email, as part of the Best Buy U.S. Creator Campaign. The email references a "GTA 6 Pre-order (Physical Game)" promotional window running from May 18th to May 21st, 2026.

These creators are receiving these emails from Best Buy as part of a promotional offer that provides a 5% affiliate commission, so it is a marketing scheme rather than a direct pre-order announcement. It must be noted that the emails were sent by Best Buy, not by Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. The May 18th - May 21st window is the promotional window for the commission, but the actual GTA 6 pre-orders will likely run through to the launch date.

These emails were not exclusive to these two creators; others, such as ResetEra and GTA Forums, also received this tip. Moreover, Insider Gaming has separately confirmed that the affiliate emails were, in fact, real. So it does seem like Best Buy has spoiled the GTA 6 pre-order date even ahead of Rockstar's announcement.

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The pre-order rumors gain more credibility once we look at Take-Two's upcoming schedule. Take-Two's earnings call for Q4 and full FY2025 is set for May 21, which is "coincidentally" the same day as the pre-order cycle for Best Buy's affiliate program closes. It is very likely that Rockstar Games and T2 Interactive decided to open pre-orders just before this earnings call, since it is obviously going to be a resounding financial success.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently set to launch on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19th, 2026. Should the pre-orders actually open on Monday, it will finally put to rest the rumors about GTA 6's pricing.