A Best Buy affiliate email suggesting GTA 6 pre-orders would open on May 18 sent investors into overdrive. Take-Two Interactive's market cap surged by an estimated $2 billion before the rumor was debunked. Here's what the stock move tells us about the financial stakes around GTA6's launch.
It started with a promotional email that Best Buy reportedly sent to affiliates early — before it was meant to go out. The email referenced a GTA6 pre-order physical game promotion running from May 18 to May 21, 2026, with a 5% discount attached. YouTuber Frogboyx1Gaming was among the first to surface it publicly, going live on stream to show the email. Multiple other users and outlets — including The Shortcut — confirmed receiving the same message, giving the leak significant credibility.
Rockstar Games and Take-Two have not officially confirmed a pre-order date as of publication. But the market clearly believes the leak is real.
Before US markets opened, Take-Two Interactive was already seeing pre-market movement of nearly 5% on the back of the leak. When the east coast market opened, that jumped to approximately 10%, pushing the stock to $240.37. For context, Take-Two's all-time high sits at $262.29, hit back in October 2025.
The stock has traded around the $240 mark since open — volatile as traders weigh whether the leak is genuine. The price swing added roughly $2 billion to Take-Two's total market capitalization compared to the previous close. That is not a small number for a pre-order date rumor.
"Shareholders are clearly highly invested in Grand Theft Auto VI's potential."
— Rockstar Intel, May 14 2026The GTA community has been waiting for a third trailer for months. Rockstar typically opens pre-orders alongside or shortly after a major trailer drop — so if pre-orders do open Monday, there's a strong chance Trailer 3 lands the same day or within days. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed earlier this year that the main marketing push is planned for summer 2026. This could be the start of that campaign.
Adding further weight: Take-Two's quarterly earnings call is scheduled for May 21 — just three days after the leaked pre-order date. It would be highly unusual for Rockstar not to have pre-orders live before the company faces investor questions about GTA6's commercial trajectory.
No official price has been confirmed. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has indicated pricing will land in the $70–$80 range for the standard edition. A $100 price point has been discussed in market analysis but Zelnick has signaled awareness that triple-digit standard pricing creates significant negative headlines. Expect multiple editions — standard, deluxe, and potentially a collector's package — when the official announcement drops.
Multiple fake GTA6 pre-order pages are already circulating online. Discount key sites, early access offers, and third-party "secure your copy now" listings are all fraudulent. No legitimate retailer has GTA6 available before Rockstar officially opens pre-orders.
When pre-orders open they will appear simultaneously on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Rockstar Games website, and verified major retailers — Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart. If you don't see it on those platforms, it is not real. Do not pay anyone else.
We'll be watching Monday closely and updating this page when any official announcement drops. If Trailer 3 lands we'll have full breakdown coverage. If pre-orders open we'll have direct links to every legitimate retailer. Sign up for the email list below and you'll get the alert before it hits your social feed.
And while you're here — the Last Drive is coming. The night before GTA6 launches, the 56ViceLane community rides one final time through Los Santos. Sign up, pick your region and time slot, and be part of the sendoff GTA5 deserves.
The night before GTA6 changes everything, the world logs into GTA5 together for one final cruise. Free. All platforms. Sign up and get your name on the Wall of Honor.