Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI are open, but don’t expect to get a physical copy | games

It is, quite simply, the most anticipated piece of entertainment since the Star Wars prequels and now, finally, you can reserve a copy. At midnight last night, Rockstar opened pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI, the latest title in the epic open-world gangster adventure series, five months ahead of its November 19 release date on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Prices have also been confirmed, with the Standard Edition costing $80 in the US, £70 in the UK, and €80 in Europe. The Ultimate Edition (£90/€100/$100) will include exclusive in-game cars, clothes and weapons – the developer has confirmed that there will also be in-game stores open only to Ultimate owners. Anyone who pre-orders the game will receive a Vintage Vice City bundle filled with ’80s clothing and other nostalgic items, looking like they’re straight out of Don Johnson’s Miami Vice wardrobe.

It is worth noting that there will not be a physical disc available for the game – at least at launch. Anyone who purchases a copy from a store will find a download code in the box. This is likely in part to prevent players from getting boxed copies before the release date and streaming content online. Video game news site VGC also notes that the lack of manufacturing costs will allow parent company Take-Two Interactive to maximize revenue from development costs, which some have estimated to be as high as $1.5 billion.

Another element missing from the game at launch is a modern update to GTA Online, the hugely successful online multiplayer version of Grand Theft Auto that debuted a month after Grand Theft Auto V in October 2013. Rockstar recently confirmed that when GTA VI launches it will be a single-player experience.

Despite these omissions, GTA VI is expected to be a huge success, dwarfing the box office receipts of the year’s biggest films. Analysts expect sales of up to 40 million units in its first year, compared to 32.5 million units for Grand Theft Auto V. This game has now sold more than 230 million worldwide.

The game returns the series to the fictional US state of Leonida, based on Florida, and features a new version of the fan-favorite location, Vice City, a hive of colorful drug dealers and corrupt politicians. Described as a romantic crime drama, the main characters Jason Duvall and Lucia Caminos are two career criminals looking to escape their dangerous lives and take up the law. It is doubtful that things will go as planned.

The road to release hasn’t been entirely smooth for the game. Multiple launch delays and several apparent gameplay leaks have affected production and marketing plans. Rockstar is also facing legal action to fire 30 employees who claim they were targeted for trying to unionize.

But with other major game publishers clearing out the weeks surrounding the game’s release, and with industry analyst Tom Henderson predicting that pre-orders alone will earn $1 billion within an hour, the hype is largely on an upward trajectory.