Out of nowhere, Rockstar has dropped tons of new information for Grand Theft Auto 6. Pre-orders go live at midnight local time on June 25th; the Ultimate Edition has finally been revealed; and lo and behold, it actually put the prices out front for everyone to get acclimated to before really diving in. There is a lot to go through, so without further ado, let’s jump into the most important information, starting with…
Price
Drum roll, please. Ready? Grand Theft Auto 6’s Standard Edition will retail for $80 while the Ultimate Edition costs $100. This makes it the second new game in this generation to have that price point after Mario Kart World. Many saw this coming; others, like Bank of America, said it should happen for the well-being of the industry. But there it is, and really, given the reported budget and long development time, we’re not all that surprised.
Weapons
What is surprising is all the different content available in the Ultimate Edition, which sadly doesn’t include advanced access. You have the Hawk and Little Morgan Revolvers, cited to be sourced from the Vercetti Estate, and the Girardi ES9 and Klose K17 pistols for Jason and Lucia, respectively (for which you get exclusive variants in the Ultimate Edition). Not the most extensive showcase, but you can bet there’s far more where that came from.
Water Combat
Those looking for bang for their buck can check out the Shitzu Squalo. As nice as it is for a relaxing day of fishing and snorkelling, it also offers an “explosives-laden weapons crate.” We already saw hints of battling in the swamps in previous screenshots, but a more recent one sees Jason and Lucia in the Squalo, fighting off a Vice City Police boat on the left and a chopper on the right while on the water. Perhaps that package at the very front is the reason?
New and Returning Vehicles
If there’s one thing that Rockstar isn’t shy about talking about, it’s the vehicles. The ’95 Grotti Cheetah looks absolutely gorgeous, with the developer calling it an “ode to Shore Drive” (which is where the new Shore Court Garage can be spotted). You also have the ’67 (don’t say it) Vapid Dominator Buggy for all your off-roading needs; the returning Deviant muscle car and Riata truck from GTA Online; a new vehicle called the Sirius, which also happens to be a muscle car; and much more.
Detailed Interiors
This is probably our best look yet at the car interiors in Grand Theft Auto 6, and they’re simply stunning. The Cheetah’s red leather seats and steering wheel, combined with the red matte front, look exquisite. The same goes for the Buggy, which looks more plain but appropriately weathered, right down to the scratches on the steering wheel’s metal parts.
Wyman’s World and Special Commission
Whether you’ll find them out in the world on your own or not, there is a way to unlock the Devant, Riata, and Sirius, complete with sleek paint jobs. That’s by working a commission for Wyman, who wants you to find abandoned classic cars or “work-in-progress” projects to refurbish them. If it sounds like a nod to Forza Horizon’s dedicated activity for the same, then you’d be correct. It’s not exclusive to the Ultimate Edition, so maybe the latter just provides immediate access instead of waiting for you to progress enough.
Rideout Customs and One Eyed Willie’s
If you’re not satisfied with the current interior designs, you can head to Rideout Customs to change them while adding detailed rims and stylings. There’s just one problem, though – it’s exclusive to the Ultimate Edition. The same goes for One Eyed Willie’s, a shop that specialized in modding vehicles for off-road purposes and hand-painting them in extravagant ways.
Realistic Mud and Dirt
Let’s go back to the Buggy for a second, not just because it’s a thing of beauty but because its screenshots showcase the sheer attention to detail of off-road racing. Realistic deformation of mud, with grime naturally forming on the bumper; dust on the tires and doors; and even realistic mud splatter on the windshield (which leaves dirty imprints when using the window wipers). But that’s not all, as Rockstar sneakily revealed two other interesting details when describing the vehicle…
Mount Kalaga
Say goodbye to Mount Chiliad and hello to Mount Kalaga, and whether it has its own alien mystery or not, you can look forward to navigating its backwoods and engaging in some off-road racing. It’s not the only location where the latter will be possible, and we’ve yet to truly witness its massive scale, but it’s good news for the more outdoorsy type of player.
Smuggling
There’s also a mention of a garage in Watson Bay, where you can access a weapons locker and a “secure place” to deposit “goods to be fenced.” If that isn’t confirmation of smuggling as a regular single-player activity, we don’t know what is.
Hairstyles and Sara’s Salon
Another notable aspect of the experience is the sheer number of hairstyles Lucia and Jason can have. Braids, slicked-back hair, spikes, a single ponytail, shoulder-length hair, a cropped style – you name it, and it’s all here, alongside different facial hair for Jason. Unfortunately, some of these are locked behind Sara’s Salon, another exclusive to the Ultimate Edition, which also offers makeup and nail work for Lucia.
Tattoos and Electric Fang
What would a crime epic be without tattoos? Leonida has them in spades, and over 50 of them are available exclusively for, you guessed it, Ultimate Edition owners at the Electric Fang Tattoo. And while that may be a bummer for Standard Edition owners, there will doubtless be many, many more choices available as you explore the state.
Stock 305 and Goodtime Gear
Like tattoos, the sheer amount of clothing choices in these new screenshots is likely only a fraction of what should be available throughout the game. Yet another store is locked to the Ultimate Edition, and it’s Stock 305, described as the “premiere destination for elevated streetwear.” We’ll admit – some of its looks are pretty sleek, but that’s five stores locked to the more expensive version of the game. At least there’s clothing and accessories inspired by Macca the Gator, a stylized cartoon gator that appears to be all the rage in Goodtime State.
Illegal Good’s Store
Contrary to what you’d think, PTT Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store isn’t locked to the Ultimate Edition. Instead, it’s an activity where you’ll “raid the compound of one of Southside Vice City’s loudest and most socially active gangs and escape safely to score some special items and distinct contraband,” as Rockstar describes. It’s under something called Gang Compound, potentially indicating similar strongholds to raid and obtain items (and the mention of contraband is further evidence that smuggling is a single-player activity).
PS5 Features
We all expected it, but count on Sony to state its “close partnership” with Rockstar for Grand Theft Auto 6. That means exclusive support for the PS5’s DualSense, from haptic feedback to adaptive triggers with dynamic resistance (likely varying based on weapons and different actions). The former even “enhances” sound FX from the controller’s speaker while Tempest 3D AudioTech allows for fuller immersion. And if that wasn’t enough, you can expect “near-instant load times” thanks to the console’s SSD, though that’s more than likely the case for Xbox as well.
