HighlightsGrand Theft Auto VI exists in its own universeGTA VI is a worrying sign for the future of physical gamesGrand Theft Auto VI is warping the video game release calendarRockstar says new GTA VI trailer was ‘equal parts gameplay and cutscenes’Let’s rewatch the Grand Theft Auto VI trailerThe first GTA VI trailer is hereRockstar finally confirms it’s working on the next Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto VI exists in its own universeImage: Rockstar GamesThis is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on GTA VI and the state of the video game industry, follow Andrew Webster. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.Four years ago, fans got a long-awaited look at Grand Theft Auto VI with a huge cache of videos that showed off Rockstar’s latest open-world epic. There were 90 videos in total, providing a glimpse at the next-generation take on Vice City, introducing the game’s new dual protagonists, and generally showing off the crime-fueled mayhem the series is known for. The twist? This wasn’t some official reveal. The videos were part of a massive leak in September 2022 that ultimately ended with a life sentence in a secure hospital for the hacker, and they dropped months before Rockstar properly unveiled GTA VI to the world with its debut trailer.Read Article >Microsoft and Discord subpoenaed over GTA VI gameplay leaksImage: Rockstar GamesFollowing several apparent video leaks of Grand Theft Auto VI, Take-Two Interactive has subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord over content that “infringes copyrights” held for the game, Kotaku reports. In the subpoenas, filed on Thursday, Take-Two says copyrighted material includes “audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue, or other creative elements” and it is looking to identify “alleged infringers at issue.” The subpoenas give Microsoft and Discord until September 4th to produce the requested information.The leaked clips have been watermarked by a person or group going by “CyberLeek,” and they have shown what appears to be GTA VI protagonist Jason Duval (one of two protagonists) doing various activities, including driving, flying an airplane, using a taser, and attacking somebody with a wrench. In one clip, the player spells “LEEK” by shooting holes in a wall.Read Article >A GTA VI leaker seemingly has a playable build.A new clip shared by the person or group identifying themselves as “CyberLeek” shows Jason Duval, one of the game’s protagonists, shooting the word “LEEK” into a wall, which suggests an actual copy of the game has escaped Rockstar Games’ containment. It’s the latest of several leaks ahead of GTA VI’s launch on November 19th.GTA VI keeps leaking ahead of its gameplay premiereImage: Rockstar GamesClips of what appears to be Grand Theft Auto VI have hit the internet, possibly spoiling aspects of the game ahead of Rockstar Games’ deep dive debuting on Netflix next week and its long-awaited launch in November.I’ve seen three clips seemingly showing off the game, though two have been pulled from the site I saw them on “due to a copyright claim.” The first clip (now removed) was a quiet scene that mostly focused on Jason Duval, one the game’s two protagonists, shooting a basketball into a hoop. Another clip (also removed) featured more of the crime-focused gameplay you’d expect from GTA, including Duval hitting a person with a wrench, and also showed the return of a six-star Wanted system.Read Article >GTA VI preorders have gotten off to an “exceptional start.”“I can say that the level of pre-orders is unprecedented and astonishing, and we’re very grateful for that,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said on Friday’s earnings call, according to Variety. An “extended look” at GTA VI will stream on August 27th.Update: Added Schreier’s post.GTA VI is getting an ‘extended look’ at the end of AugustWe’ll be getting an in-depth preview of Grand Theft Auto VI very soon: Rockstar announced this morning that it will be airing an “extended look” at the game on August 27th. The preview will stream on YouTube at 9PM ET, as per usual, but will also be shown earlier for Netflix subscribers, premiering at 3PM ET. (Netflix and Rockstar previously partnered to release the original GTA trilogy on mobile.) There are no other details just yet.“The anticipation and fandom around Grand Theft Auto VI is unprecedented, and we’re honored that Rockstar Games has partnered with us to debut the next part of the Grand Theft Auto story with Netflix members first,” Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s VP of Nonfiction Series, said in a statement.Read Article >Where to preorder Grand Theft Auto VIRockstar’s long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI is launching November 19th, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles. The game will be available digitally at launch, with physical cases containing codes, not discs, so your options for preordering are straightforward. The preloading phase for the game begins on November 12th, which should give you plenty of time to install the game.There are two versions of the game to choose from, the $79.99 Standard and $99.99 Ultimate editions. Both include the same preorder perks. You’ll get the Vintage Vice City Pack when the game launches. It’s a set of in-game items that includes vehicles, weapon patterns, and hairstyles with nods to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.Read Article >Rockstar workers push to unionize ahead of GTA VI’s launchImage: Rockstar GamesWorkers at Grand Theft Auto VI developer Rockstar Games have submitted a request for their union, the IWGB Game Workers Union, to be voluntarily recognized, according to a press release. The request follows Rockstar firing more than 30 staffers last year in a move accused of being “union busting.”According to the release, IWGB members have been “actively” organizing since 2019 and “claim they now represent a significant proportion of the workforce across each of the studio’s sites in Edinburgh, Dundee, Lincoln, Leeds and London.” As the union has grown, “Rockstar has already made improvements to workers’ conditions including unprecedented average pay rises and financial incentives for crunch for the first time ever.” The union wants to improve pay transparency, strengthen “flexible working arrangements,” and address crunch, which is something Rockstar has come under scrutiny for in the past.Read Article >With GTA looming, consoles are getting expensive at the worst possible timeImage: Rockstar GamesThe release of Grand Theft Auto VI is a singular moment, the kind of massive cultural phenomenon that makes people want to go out and buy a console to play it. It is the preeminent modern example of what’s known as a “system seller.” There’s almost certainly a large audience of people who were waiting to buy a console because all they really play on it is GTA, and they haven’t needed to upgrade since GTA V. But there’s one big problem: At the same time people are getting excited to finally play GTA, the hardware it runs on is becoming prohibitively expensive.Fans have been waiting for the next Grand Theft Auto for a long time. GTA V originally launched in 2013, and it was subsequently ported to multiple generations of consoles, landed on PC, and, with a little help from its enduring online mode, went on to become perhaps the most lucrative single entertainment product in history. That’s a lot to live up to, and the hype around GTA VI is unlike any game I’ve ever seen. The launch, on November 19th for the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S, is expected to be so big that other game publishers are moving out of the way for fear of getting lost in the shuffle.Read Article >GTA VI is a worrying sign for the future of physical gamesImage: Rockstar GamesRockstar Games has finally given Grand Theft Auto VI a price ahead of the game’s November 19th launch. But while announcing that the game would cost $79.99, Rockstar also confirmed that the physical versions of GTA VI won’t include a disc, and instead will only contain a download code inside the box. Not only is that a disappointing decision for people who like to own physical games, but given the scale of the next GTA, it also sets a bad precedent for the rest of the industry.It’s no secret that digital games have overtaken physical ones. The sales data proves it: Capcom, for example, recently announced that 93 percent of its games were sold digitally in its last fiscal year, and it expects that number to go up next fiscal year. Devices like the PlayStation Pro, Xbox Series S, and Steam Machine don’t have an included disc drive, further exacerbating the issue.Read Article >GTA VI is download-only.Sure, you’ll be able to order a physical edition of the game when preorders open tonight, but Rockstar says the box contains a download code anyway. If you’re buying GTA VI, don’t expect to be able to sell it when you’re done.GTA VI finally gets a price tagImage: Rockstar GamesWe finally have a price for Grand Theft Auto VI: $79.99. That gets you the standard edition of the game, while the Ultimate Edition will set you back $99.99.Preorders start at midnight tonight, local time, when you’ll be able to reserve a copy on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. You’ll be able to order either digital or physical editions of the game, though Rockstar has confirmed that even the physical editions contain “a download code inside the box.” The upside is that they’ll ship from November 12th, allowing buyers of either edition to preload the game ahead of its full release on November 19th.Read Article >GTA VI preorders open June 25th.Rockstar Games says preorders will be available “on digital storefronts and at other select retailers,” and revealed the game’s cover art in a teaser video:Grand Theft Auto VI is warping the video game release calendarImage: Rockstar GamesWho’s afraid of the next GTA? Based on the last few days of Summer Game Fest, just about everyone. Grand Theft Auto VI hasn’t been present at any of the keynote events, but its presence was felt every time a release date was announced. The month of November, when GTA VI launches, is virtually empty. The rest of the fall, meanwhile, is absolutely packed.It started at Sony’s State of Play showcase on Tuesday. Even before that show, we knew that Wolverine, the next big PlayStation exclusive, would be launching on September 15th. But now it’s joined by a bunch of major third-party titles: Dune: Awakening (September 22nd), Control Resonant (September 24th), Silent Hill: Townfall (September 24th), Onimusha: Way of the Sword (September 25th), and Ace Combat 8 (October 2nd). This is on top of other games launching before November that had already been announced, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 in October.Read Article >Rockstar Games developers have unionized.Now, the union is preparing to take Rockstar to court over the firings. RGWU says that more and more workers are joining from every one of Rockstar’s sites across Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee.Take-Two still isn’t sharing GTA VI’s price.To both, Zelnick indicated that the game is indeed coming out on November 19th, which was a delay from May 26th (which itself was a delay).You might be able to pre-order GTA VI soon.At least according to a leaked listing from Best Buy, which suggests pre-orders for the next Grand Theft Auto on May 18th. Which means we might finally find out just how much the game will cost. And hey, trailer number three would be a nice bonus, too.Grand Theft Auto VI launch delayed until November 2026Image: Rockstar GamesGrand Theft Auto VI is being delayed again: it will now launch on November 19th, 2026.“We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve,” Rockstar Games says. “We want to thank you again for your patience and support. While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern day Vice City.”Read Article >Rockstar claims fired employees were leaking company information.The GTA VI studio now claims that firing dozens of employees last week for “gross misconduct” was because they were “found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum.”The president of the IWGB said to Bloomberg in response that Rockstar is “prioritizing union-busting by targeting the very people who make the game.” It’s planning a protest on Thursday morning.GTA VI developer accused of union busting in mass firingsImage: Rockstar GamesRockstar Games, the developer of Grand Theft Auto VI, fired between 30 to 40 employees on Thursday, as previously reported by Bloomberg. According to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), all of the employees fired were part of a private trade union Discord chat and were either already union members or attempting to organize a union at Rockstar.“Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry,” IWGB president Alex Marshall said in a statement provided to The Verge.Read Article >Am I the only person that didn’t watch the GTA VI trailer?Apparently, everyone else did. Rockstar Games claims the game’s second trailer racked up 475 million views in just 24 hours, making it “the biggest video launch of all time.” That’s more than the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer’s 365 million debut, and over double the 200 million views for The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ promo.Despite all that demand, the now-delayed GTA VI is still a year away with its launch scheduled for May 2026.Rockstar says new GTA VI trailer was ‘equal parts gameplay and cutscenes’Image: Rockstar GamesA second trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI had a surprise drop this week, and it looked like it mostly focused on the story and world at the expense of gameplay. However, developer Rockstar Games says that isn’t actually the case, and that the trailer was “comprised of equal parts gameplay and cutscenes.” The fact that it’s hard to discern between the two in the trailer is an impressive achievement for the game, though obviously we’ll have to reserve judgement until we are able to actually play it.Here, you can judge for yourself:Read Article >Grand Theft Auto VI’s second trailer sets up its Bonnie and Clyde storyIt’s been quite some time since Rockstar set the internet on fire with the first Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, and then subsequently delayed the game, but now we finally have a second look. The new trailer is — like the first — pretty heavily focused on setting up the characters and world, without much in the way of gameplay (though the developer does call it “the biggest, most immersive evolution of the series yet”).But we do have a few more details about the story. Here’s the description from Rockstar:Read Article >Let’s rewatch the Grand Theft Auto VI trailerThe delay of Grand Theft Auto VI into next year is a big deal. The game is the follow-up to arguably the biggest entertainment release of all time, one that originally debuted well over a decade ago. Even if GTAV is still going strong, now spanning multiple console generations and with a surprisingly enduring online component, the hype for its sequel has been steadily building since 2013. Adding to the sheer amount of time is the mystery — we still know very little about what GTAVI actually is. So it’s a good time to revisit what we do know; namely, the single trailer released in 2023.Our first glimpse of the game runs almost entirely on vibes. Instead of gameplay or story, it covers a feeling, which is to say the feeling of Florida. GTAVI takes place in Leonida, Rockstar’s take on the Sunshine State, and the trailer is filled with those purple-pink skies, airboats plowing through the everglades, late-night streets races, a whole lot of pool parties, and of course alligators getting into mischief. Much of it is captured on a TikTok-like social network. There’s a slight introduction to the Bonnie and Clyde–style lead characters, including a woman named Lucia and her unnamed counterpart, but it’s not really clear what they’re up to (aside from the obvious crime).Read Article >Grand Theft Auto VI release delayed to May 2026Image: Rockstar GamesRockstar Games is delaying the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI to May 26th, 2026. The game had originally been planned to release in fall 2025, but Rockstar Games now says the team needs extra time “to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”In a message posted on the Rockstar Games website, the development team apologized for the delay:Read Article >More Stories