Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has become the go-to source for Grand Theft Auto VI news in the build-up to its release date this November. Anticipation continues to grow following the release of GTA 6 pre-orders on June 25; the game was made available in two editions – the $79.99 Standard Edition and the $99.99 Ultimate Edition. Zelnick says the latter is selling best.

There has been a decent amount of backlash against the pricing, but that hasn’t stopped GTA 6 from enjoying an “exceptional start” to its pre-order phase, according to Zelnick in an earnings call last week. While the exact numbers haven’t been published, the Take-Two boss has now made it clear that sales are “skewing more to the premium edition” ahead of launch.

Rockstar and Take-Two are selling more Ultimate Edition copies right now

Speaking to CNBC, Strauss Zelnick revealed that GTA 6 pre-order sales so far favor the $99.99 Ultimate Edition, though we cannot be sure exactly by how much at this stage. Either way, he says the higher sales for the premium edition “might be a reflection of the fact that the most avid consumers are the ones who are pre-ordering now”.

Those opting for the Ultimate Edition gain access to additional content such as exclusive vehicles, weapons, and customization. This additional content will be available for purchase individually at a later date. Pre-ordering the game also comes with the Vintage Vice City Pack, regardless of which edition you choose. Zelnick also touched on the topic of potential retailer deals:

“We obviously establish our pricing, and then storefronts can do what they wish. We don’t have any ability to control that, so if they reducing their price, they’re obviously reducing their margin on the sale. There are situations where certain retailers will price down to drive demand for other things that they sell, and I can’t tell what happen – I will tell you that we preserved our pricing on Grand Theft Auto V for a very long time, much longer than a standard release.”

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive

In another clip from the CNBC segment, Zelnick says Take-Two also wanted to make sure people don’t feel like “this is out of my range” when it comes to the GTA 6 price. He hints that the company could have gotten away with an even higher price point, given the anticipation around the game, but value to the customer is the biggest priority.

“So we’ve established the $80 price point, $100 price point for the regular edition and the premium edition, and I think most people felt that if we wanted to exert it, we had a great deal of pricing power. Our job, though, as we see it, is to deliver – always – way more value to the consumer than what we charge, and we want to do that over and over again.”

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive

Zelnick was also asked about the upcoming GTA 6 “An Extended Look,” premiering on Netflix on August 27 at 3 PM Eastern Time. Unfortunately, he is keeping his cards close to his chest, with no clue as to the contents of the trailer/special. Lining up with previous comments he made about the extended look, he says, “I think it’s really worth watching,” nothing more.

If you don’t have a Netflix account, the extended look will be uploaded to Rockstar Games’ official YouTube account six hours after its initial premiere, and you can expect it to be all over social media, too, maybe even before it makes it to YouTube.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.