Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders are live. Within hours, talks of the next Grand Theft Auto flooded the internet, including complaints about its physical copy (or lack thereof), the Ultimate Edition, and more. However, one thing that many may have missed is a small caveat about this very welcome but also potentially costly pre-order bonus.
Digital GTA 6 pre-orders include one free month of GTA+, redeemable right away. After that month, it auto-renews at about $7.99 a month unless you cancel through your platform account. You can cancel anytime, and you keep the free month either way. Physical pre-orders do not include this bonus.
GTA+ is Rockstar's monthly subscription for Grand Theft Auto Online. It gives you a monthly allowance of in-game currency, vehicle and property discounts, and access to older Rockstar titles. Unless you play GTA Online a lot, you'll want to cancel it after redeeming ASAP.
GTA 6 Pre-Order Bonus Breakdown
| Bonus | Digital Pre-Order | Physical Pre-Order |
|---|---|---|
Free month of GTA+ | Yes (auto-renews after) | No |
Vintage Vice City Pack | Yes (pre-order before Nov 20) | Yes (pre-order before Nov 20) |
The base game | Yes | Yes (a code in a box, no disc) |
The Vintage Vice City Pack, a classic car, garage, and retro outfits, goes to everyone who pre-orders before November 20, physical or digital.
Another reminder: the free month is redeemable the moment you pre-order, but you have until March 31, 2027, to redeem it. GTA 6 does not launch until November 19. So if you claim your free GTA+ month in June, it runs out in July, four months before the game you pre-ordered even arrives. Then it auto-renews at full price, billing you monthly for a service tied to a game you are still waiting to play.
Because the freebie is available through March 2027, you can choose not to claim it at all immediately. Unless you really want to play Grand Theft Auto V for free, the month is mostly wasted for four months before launch. Instead, you can defer it to coincide with GTA 6's release, unless you want to get a few perks for when the next GTA Online update releases in July.
Again, the free GTA+ month is a real perk, not a trap, but it will auto-renew if you aren't careful. Claim it, cancel the auto-renewal the same day, and you come out ahead. Forget, and you are paying $8 a month for a service you signed up for by accident.