GTA 6 fans are angry for the exact reason that Rockstar is getting away with it

Grand Theft Auto 6 have officially entered the most dangerous part of their promotional cycle, which is the part where fans finally know what they're being asked to pay. After years of trailers, speculation, leaks, delays and theories, GTA 6 pre-orders are now live, and the game's pricing has instantly become one of the biggest controversies surrounding it. The Standard Edition costs $79.99, the Ultimate Edition costs $99.99, and GTA 6 physical buyers don't even get a disc in the box. For any other game, that combination would undoubtedly cause serious buyer revolt.

For GTA 6But that's where things get a little more complicated. Fans are understandably frustrated with the price, the physical version of the code-in-the-box, and the amount of Ultimate Edition content that is foreclosed by a higher price. As a result, Reddit threads are filled with players calling the move greedy, shady, disappointing and frustrating. Meanwhile, the same complaint only reveals the inconvenient truth behind Rockstar's entire strategy – that GTA 6 is, whether we like it or not, the one game many players are willing to complain about, criticize and still buy.

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GTA 6's Ultimate Edition has already crossed a line for many fans

Initially $80 for GTA 6 may have sounded like the biggest problem here. It will always bother some players, sure, but it was also one of the easiest awards for Rockstar to defend and duplicate. GTA 6 is not just a regular game release. Rather, it's the sequel to one of the most successful games ever made, it's been more than a decade since GTA 5 was launched, and yet the entire industry has moved towards higher prices for larger editions.

Guess the games from the emojis.

Light (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)

But the tougher sell is GTA 6s Ultimate Edition. Rockstar's own support page says the Ultimate Edition includes the base game, the Ultimate Edition upgrade, multiple vehicles, weapons, outfits, shops, mod shops, a tattoo parlor, a salon, a clothing store, a guild, and a classic car collection. It also says the bonuses are “threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia's story”, with new items revealed in each chapter.

GTA 6 is, whether we like it or not, the one game many players are willing to complain about, criticize and still buy.

Of course, that description is exactly why some fans are upset GTA 6and undoubtedly they may be. Exclusive cars, clothes, weapons or cosmetics are one thing, but entire shops and rewards connected to the story are another thing entirely. When premium content like that looks like it should already belong in the base game, it starts to feel like a part of the game has been purposefully segregated for those players willing to spend $20 more.

As it has been known to do, Reddit picked up on it almost immediately. In an r/GTA6 post by the123king reddit, fans like YeetLord__ pointed out how this was a “huge red flag” for GTA 6which specifically states that it “sets an abominable precedent for the future monetization of this game.” Other fans expressed similar sentiments, with user Two-Space saying “That's a lot of content locked up” and user goobcs saying it's “insane” to lock so much content behind a paywall.

But in fact, the crux of this whole controversy is not just that GTA 6 fans are angry about prices, but that they are angry because they care too much about the game to not upgrade to the Ultimate Edition. In other words, to many it feels like Rockstar knows players will mindlessly drop an extra $20 on the game no matter what, so it stuffed its most expensive edition with as much content as possible to make the extra cash feel worth spending. Really, GTA 6 fans should feel taken advantage of, but at the same time it's still up to them whether they make the purchase or not.

GTA 6's Code-in-Box Physical Release makes it even worse

The physical version has also become a big problem. Rockstar has already confirmed it GTA 6s physical release contains a digital download code in the box and that a disc will not be included. For gamers who still care about ownership, preservation, resale, collecting, or simply putting a disc on the shelf, it takes away much of the point of buying a physical copy in the first place. Of course, this is one area where the backlash feels particularly understandable.

r/PlayStation GTA 6 pre-order megathread by P_Jiggy shows how divided gamers already are. Some users said the lack of a disc was enough to make them skip pre-ordering or avoid the console version. Others were already debating whether to buy the digital Ultimate Edition or get the box anyway, even though they knew the physical version only contains a code. For example, user AreYouOkayMateX4332 called the move a “betrayal” of Rockstar's customers, while user thekipling said they were in no rush and that their backlog would hold them over until a legitimate physical copy became available.

Then again, that split is exactly why Rockstar can probably get away with it. Some players will draw a line, and they are not wrong to do so. But enough players will see GTA 6 as too big to miss, too important to skip or too exciting to wait for the backlash to never be strong enough to meaningfully hurt the game in the long run.

Rockstar knows that GTA 6 is not a normal game

Most games have to convince players that they are worth the money, but GTA 6 have another problem. Instead, it must avoid convincing players that it's not worth the money. A new IP, an annual sequel, or a smaller open-world game can't afford to enter the market with this much price controversy, but GTA 6 can, because the demand was there even before Rockstar ever revealed the price of the base game and its Ultimate Edition.

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Players have spent years treating GTA 6 as the next inevitable moment in play. Other publishers have reportedly been wary of its release window, fans have dissected every frame of the trailer, and the game has become a cultural event before it's even launched, giving Rockstar a level of leverage that most video game publishers simply don't have. Gamers may hate the idea of spending $100 on the Ultimate Edition, and they may hate that the physical version doesn't include a disc, but if the game itself looks like the generational leap fans have been waiting for, many of those complaints will run right into the same sentence “I still want to play it anyway, and I will.”

Fans prove Rockstar's point without meaning to

But the most telling part of the reactions on Reddit is the fact that all the anger fans have over the situation ultimately sits right next to resignation. The players shout GTA 6's Ultimate Edition, questioning the lack of a disc in its physical copy and criticizing Rockstar for moving further into premium digital content. Then, sometimes in the same thread, they admit they still plan to buy it, and that's the exact reason Rockstar is likely getting away with it.

GTA 6 has joined an exclusive club long before its official release date

Of course, there is a real danger in that for the rest of the industry. If GTA 6 launches for $80 with a $100 Ultimate Edition, a code-in-box physical edition and premium story-linked content, and succeeds either way, other publishers will no doubt take notice. GTA 6 may be uniquely positioned to survive this backlash, but the precedent it sets will not remain unique for long. Thus, fans have every right to be worried, because this isn't just about worry GTA 6but worry about what happens after Rockstar has proven that gamers will tolerate this from a game they can't bring themselves to miss.

Meanwhile, Rockstar's advantage here is clear as day. GTA 6 is the rare game that can make players angry about the purchase and happy about it in the same breath. Fans are upset because Rockstar is demanding more from them than they expected. But Rockstar will get away with it because, for a large number of those fans, the answer will probably still be yes.