New Player Poll Suggests Rockstar’s Risky GTA 6 Ultimate Edition Gamble Just Might Pay Off

After a very long wait, Rockstar has finally confirmed the price for GTA 6 as pre-orders for the long-awaited game go live. It’s hard to believe the release is finally happening, but this milestone all but confirms November 19th is the true, final release date for the new GTA. However, fan excitement has been dampened by some controversial decisions. Not only is GTA 6 not getting a physical disc at launch, it’s also apparently locking several features behind its pricier Ultimate Edition. But from the sounds of it, gamers are going to pay up.

Once upon a time, gamers were outraged when The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion introduced its paid horse armor. Now, monetization even in full-price games is pretty commonplace. But the description for GTA 6‘s Ultimate edition suggests Rockstar is taking things a step further. The Standard Edition is already at the higher end of video game prices at $80. But Rockstar seems to be banking on fans paying an extra $20 for the Ultimate Edition. And a new poll from Insider Gaming suggests that Rockstar’s controversial choice just might pay off.

Despite Outrage, Poll Suggests Gamers Will Pay $100 for the “Full” Version of GTA 6

At first, the fact that GTA 6 is “only” $80 in this economy seemed like good news. But as players began reading the fine print for the differences between its Standard and Ultimate Editions, that price began to feel like a bit of a lie. The Ultimate Edition, which is priced at $100, will include several features that players who buy the Standard Edition can’t access. Of course, many big games offer perks for buying an upgraded edition of the game. But GTA 6 is seemingly taking things further than most games.

In addition to cosmetics and exclusive items, common fare for a special edition, GTA 6 players who buy the Ultimate Edition will have access to actual in-game locations that will be locked for the Standard Edition. In fact, a total of 8 in-game shops will only be available if you buy the Ultimate Edition. These shops range from character customization and cosmetic options to vehicle mod locations. In theory, these shops will just unlock more exclusive cosmetics for players. But, combined with storage garages, weapons, and vehicles available only for the $100 game, many fans are left feeling like buying the Standard Edition doesn’t actually offer the full GTA 6 experience.

But despite player frustration on social media, it seems like many fans are indeed willing to shell out $100 for the “real” GTA 6 experience. Insider Gaming‘s Tom Henderson recently posted a poll on X, asking players whether they’re buying the $80 or $100 edition of GTA 6. And just over 80% of the 10,000 people who responded during the first 3 hours said they will, in fact, buy that $100 Ultimate Edition to get the extra content. That suggests that Rockstar’s controversial pricing decision for the game just might pay off, if the vast majority of fans are willing to pay that extra $20.

Of course, telling a social media poll you’ll play $100 for a game isn’t the same as actually doing it. We won’t know for sure how popular the Ultimate Edition is until we get actual sales figures from pre-orders and release. But given how long fans have been waiting for the next installment, many are going to pay what they have to to ensure they get the full experience. Like Bethesda’s horse armor before it, this could set a new precedent for what a special edition game looks like. And that could be a loophole for game publishers to quietly raise the price of games even further while technically keeping them in the $70-80 range we’ve seen for AAA over the last few years.

Are you going to buy the $100 Ultimate Edition for GTA 6, or skip the fancy shops and opt for the Standard Edition?

GTA 6 Confirms Return of Weapon Not Seen Since Vice City