Grand Theft Auto fans were expecting a huge day yesterday. It was perhaps the most anticipated event aside from the actual GTA 6 release date. If you’re a fan, you may have heard about a leaked Best Buy affiliate email, which suggested GTA 6 pre-orders would begin on May 18, with the likelihood that Rockstar would release the game’s third trailer as well.

Gamers were actively checking retailers for GTA 6 listings, and Rockstar’s YouTube for an expected third trailer, but the day came and went without any official announcement from Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, or major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, GameStop, or Best Buy. However, that didn’t stop some more obscure retailers from supposedly stocking the blockbuster title.

Are early GTA 6 listings actually scams?

A handful of smaller retailers in some regions have already started offering GTA 6 pre-orders, and fans are now warning others to stay away from what they believe could be fake or unofficial listings, or downright scams.

One retailer getting a lot of attention right now is an Italian store called ShowGame. It recently listed GTA 6 for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at €69.99. Shortly after the listing went live, the store marked the game as sold out, and there didn’t seem to be any immediate way of knowing whether it was legitimate or even if the retailer sold any copies before going out of stock.

Some fans believe the listing could have gone live early by mistake. Others think the retailer may simply be trying to take advantage of all the hype surrounding GTA 6 and the recent pre-order rumors. After all, Rockstar Games has still not officially announced when pre-orders will begin, nor has the company confirmed the final price of the game.

This uncertainty is exactly why many people in the community are urging fans to be careful. Gaming YouTuber Inkslasher (who also has a channel called InkTV) recently warned players to avoid third-party sellers claiming to offer GTA 6 pre-orders right now. According to him, if major platforms and official retailers are not taking orders yet, then smaller stores likely do not have access to actual stock or collector’s edition details either.

“If you see any third-party retailers as of right now selling pre-orders, they are fake. Without it being live on PlayStation, Xbox, Best Buy, Walmart, places along those lines, these third-party retailers do not have a way to buy the games, get pre-orders, or even know what is in the collector’s editions.”

Inklslasher, via YouTube

The biggest concern is that some fans could end up paying money for something that is not officially backed by Rockstar or Take-Two. At the moment, the safest option is simply to wait for Rockstar Games to make an official announcement. GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated games ever made, so excitement is naturally at an all-time high. As a result, scammers and unofficial sellers are expected to keep popping up online until real pre-orders finally go live.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.