GTA 6 Ultimate Edition prompts outcry from fans worried about the franchise's future

Some aspects of the release are still ruffling feathers

With Grand Theft Auto 6's prolonged development time — and presumably massive budget — there's been a lot of anxiety about how much the most anticipated game of all time would cost. On Tuesday, Rockstar eased these qualms by revealing that the standard version of GTA 6 will cost $79.99. Fans are surprised and relieved. Despite this, there are a couple of niggling details that are already prompting complaints.

For a long time, gamers worried that GTA 6 might be the first major game to release with a price point of $100 or more. GTA V isn't just one of the best-selling games of all time: it's also one of those perennial games that people buy repeatedly on new platforms. Players routinely drop tons of money on GTA Online. If Rockstar wanted to wring people for GTA 6, it probably could.

There is a version of GTA 6 that costs $99 — but unless you want some specific bonuses, like special vehicles and cosmetics, you don't have to pay that much to get in on the fun come Nov. 19. And sure, $79.99 is slightly more than what most new standard video games cost ($69.99). The price is still low enough that, for some fans, the fancier version of the game actually sounds affordable.

"Let’s be honest who isn’t getting the Ultimate Edition anyway," one fan commented on a TikTok video.

"Don’t care I’ll pay whatever," another TikTok commenter bluntly added.

One Redditor astutely noted, "Fuck, thats less than a meal at 5 Guys these days."

It's cheaper than most observers expected, but some fans can't get over the asterisks that come with that cost. GTA 6's so-called physical edition is actually just a code in a box.

"You will own nothing and be happy," one YouTube commenter wrote.

"Screw pre-ordering!," another fan said in a different YouTube video. "No real physical edition is a major bummer."

The lack of a physical disc may seem especially egregious during a time when SSD prices are exploding. Rockstar's decision comes in contrast to companies like Nintendo, which has recently started charging less for digital copies of major Switch 2 releases.

The most concerning aspect of GTA 6's Ultimate Edition, according to some fans, is how Rockstar is justifying its price. People expect pre-orders to come with goodies that don't affect the gameplay, like outfits and decals. Bonuses like in-game currency or weapons are fine, provided the extras don't give anyone an unfair advantage. GTA 6's Ultimate Edition, however, contains five exclusive shops. These include a salon for Jason and Lucia where players can change their facial hair, makeup, and nails; a streetwear store; a tattoo shop with 50 ink options; a contraband hub; and two vehicle customization shops.

Some of these extras, like weapons and vehicles, will alter the experience — but not meaningfully. Technically, the shops locked behind the higher price tag are purely aesthetic. But as the enduring popularity of role play servers reminds us, a huge chunk of GTA's appeal lies in playing dress-up. In a game as stylish as GTA 6, exclusive customization options were bound to trigger FOMO.

"After everything Rockstar did to milk GTA V, I expected some BS, but this honestly eclipses anything I could have dreamed up," one top comment on a Reddit post about the exclusive shops reads. "This is garbage."

Exclusivity isn't the entire problem, either. GTA 6's pricier pre-order option is already stoking fears about the future of GTA as a whole.

"So much important stuff could be locked behind GTA+," another fan wrote, in reference to Rockstar's GTA subscription. The service already provides GTA V players with exclusive cars, amenities, and clothes, among other things. It seems likely Rockstar will continue its massively successful business strategy for its next game.

But where some fans are already getting angry about GTA 6, others are cool as a cucumber. After 13 years of waiting, GTA 6 is almost here. It's not going to cost an arm and a leg, as everyone thought. Everything else is a minor detail.