Leaked emails sent to Best Buy affiliates have surfaced online, reportedly revealing that Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders go live on Monday, May 18. The implication is hard to miss: if Rockstar Games is ready to open pre-orders, the current November 19 release date is almost certainly locked.
Two delays, one very tired fanbase
Here's the thing: this game has been delayed twice already. GTA 6 was originally targeting an autumn 2025 window. Then in May last year, Rockstar pushed the launch to May 26, 2026. That date didn't hold either, and in November the studio announced another slip to November 19, 2026, sending Take-Two Interactive stock into an immediate drop.
With that history in mind, any signal that the November date is holding is genuinely newsworthy. Pre-orders opening is one of the clearest signs a publisher has locked in a ship date internally. Retailers don't start affiliate campaigns for games that haven't been greenlit for launch.
The Best Buy affiliate email leak has not been officially confirmed by Rockstar or Take-Two as of May 14. Treat the May 18 pre-order date as strongly indicative but unverified until an official announcement lands.
What the surrounding signals say
The pre-order leak doesn't exist in a vacuum. Sony recently pushed PS4 owners to upgrade to PS5 specifically to be ready for GTA 6 at launch, a move that only makes sense if PlayStation's marketing team has firm internal confidence in the November window. PlayStation also holds a marketing deal with Take-Two for the game, meaning Sony has a direct financial incentive to keep the hype machine running on schedule.
The most recent official GTA 6 trailer dropped over a year ago, and fans have been waiting on a third one. A pre-order launch next week would almost certainly come bundled with new marketing material, possibly that long-awaited trailer.
