Insider says GTA 6 pre-orders unlikely to be announced on May 18

Tom Henderson, a journalist at Insider Gaming, said on May 16 that he had not heard signs Rockstar Games would open Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders on Sunday, May 18, pushing back on a leak-fueled expectation that a new sales phase for the game was imminent. Henderson’s comments came two days after Insider Gaming reported that a Best Buy affiliate email pointing to a May 18 pre-order date was legitimate. Notebookcheck, citing Henderson’s appearance on an Insider Gaming podcast, reported that he doubted fans would get a third trailer this week and said any tangible update might not arrive until July or August. Rockstar Games has not announced pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI on its official game page, which currently features Trailer 2, character details and setting information. The company’s most recent official release-date notice said the game is set to launch on November 19, 2026. ### What exactly did Tom Henderson say about May 18? Notebookcheck reported on May 16 that Henderson said he had not heard “rumblings” of significant Rockstar news for May 18 and quoted him as saying, on pre-orders or a third trailer, “we're not going to get anything tangible until uh July, August.” The site said Henderson framed that as a prediction rather than fresh reporting. (notebookcheck.net) (rockstargames.com) TheGamer, summarizing the same Insider Gaming Weekly discussion on May 17, said Henderson believed pre-orders would not open on Monday and that fans might not hear anything until July at the earliest. That account matched Notebookcheck’s description of his remarks. ### Why were fans expecting a May 18 pre-order announcement in the first place? (notebookcheck.net) Insider Gaming reported on May 14 that it had independently verified a Best Buy affiliate email saying Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders were set to begin on May 18, 2026. Charlie Champion wrote that two affiliates forwarded the email directly to Insider Gaming and that the messages originated from Impact, an affiliate marketplace. (thegamer.com) The same report said the May 18 date was five months before the game’s November 19 release date and fueled speculation that Rockstar could pair pre-orders with a third trailer. Notebookcheck later described that email as legitimate while also noting Henderson’s doubts about the timing of any broader Rockstar announcement. (insider-gaming.com) ### Does a legitimate Best Buy email mean Rockstar has confirmed anything? Rockstar Games has not posted a pre-order announcement on its Grand Theft Auto VI page or in the official materials surfaced here, and Insider Gaming’s May 14 report described the Best Buy email as evidence of a retailer-affiliate campaign rather than a Rockstar statement. Henderson’s position, as relayed by Notebookcheck, was that the email could have been sent prematurely. (insider-gaming.com) Notebookcheck also said other leakers had not publicly backed a major May 18 event. The site cited billbil-kun as saying he had “Nothing interesting for now” and said NateTheHate had not indicated that pre-orders or a new trailer were imminent. ### How does this fit with the official GTA VI timeline? (rockstargames.com) Rockstar’s official Grand Theft Auto VI page currently presents the game’s setting, characters and Trailer 2, but no sales date for pre-orders. A separate Rockstar notice said the game is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, said on April 23 that it will report fourth-quarter and fiscal-year 2026 results after the market closes on Thursday, May 21, and hold a conference call at 4:30 p.m. (notebookcheck.net) Eastern. Notebookcheck said Henderson expected players to hear some form of update before that earnings call, though it added that such an update could be limited to a reaffirmation of the release date. (rockstargames.com) ### What should fans watch next? May 18 is the date cited in the verified Best Buy affiliate email, but as of May 17 Rockstar Games has not publicly confirmed pre-orders. That leaves the next check points as Rockstar’s own channels and Take-Two’s May 21 earnings release and conference call. Take-Two said the May 21 webcast will be available through its investor relations site, while Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI page remains the company’s main public hub for trailers and game updates. (businesswire.com) Those are the named venues where any official change to pre-orders, marketing timing or the November 19 launch plan would appear first. (insider-gaming.com)