The short answer
Rockstar Games has not announced a review embargo date for GTA 6. An embargo is the date and time when critics are allowed to publish their reviews. Publishers often keep that date private until it passes.
What is confirmed:
- GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Digital pre-loading starts on November 12, 2026. Code-in-box retail copies also go on sale that day so buyers can pre-load.
What past Rockstar launches suggest
Rockstar’s two most recent major games had reviews go live one day before release:
| Game | Reviews published | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | September 16, 2013 | September 17, 2013 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | October 25, 2018 | October 26, 2018 |
GameSpot points out that this pattern does not mean Rockstar will do the same with GTA 6. Treat it as history, not a forecast.
There are unconfirmed reports about when review copies will go out. Rockstar has not commented on them, so we are not repeating them here.
How we will cover GTA 6 reviews
TotalGTA is a fan site, and we will not score GTA 6 ourselves at launch. Instead:
- Review roundup. When the embargo lifts, we will publish a roundup of reviews from major outlets, including IGN, GameSpot, Eurogamer, Polygon, GamesRadar, TechRadar, VGC and others. Each entry will have the outlet’s score (if it gives one), a short summary in our own words and a link to the full review.
- Aggregate scores. We will add the Metacritic and OpenCritic pages for GTA 6 and update the averages as more reviews come in. Early averages often change in the first few days.
- Platform notes. If outlets review the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions separately, or flag performance differences, we will note that.
- No early leaks. We will not share review scores or footage that appear before the official embargo.
When we will update this page
We will update this page as soon as Rockstar or a major outlet confirms the embargo date, and again when the first reviews go live.
