GTA 6 Review Copies Reportedly Going Out Before the End of October

Fans who expected Rockstar to keep GTA 6 locked away from critics until launch day may be in for a surprise. New claims from well-known industry insider NateTheHate suggest reviewers will have the game in hand soon, with a fairly generous window to play it.

Review copies are coming

Speculation about GTA 6's review period has been building for months. Plenty of fans online have argued that Rockstar would skip early review access entirely, partly to keep the game from leaking. NateTheHate says that isn't the case.

In a post on ResetEra, he answered a user asking whether review copies had already been distributed. According to him, they haven't gone out yet, but they will before October ends. If that holds, reviewers would get roughly two weeks or more with the game ahead of its November 19 release. That's a long runway for a title of this size, and it suggests Rockstar is confident enough in its security to hand the game over earlier than many expected.

Reviews are expected before launch

Insider Gaming has separately reported that review embargoes will lift before the game's November 19 release. That would put to rest another popular theory: that Rockstar would hold reviews until after the game was already on shelves.

There's still some ambiguity. "Before launch" could mean the day before, or even just earlier in the day in certain time zones. Even so, it points to reviews being available ahead of release, which gives buyers, and especially pre-order customers, a chance to see critical reaction before the game goes live.

What it could mean for the Game Awards

The timing also raises a question about awards season. Earlier this month, reports suggested GTA 6 might miss out on Game of the Year consideration at The Game Awards because the nomination process begins so early. Last year, that cutoff fell on November 4.

If critics and jury members receive the game before the end of October, some of them could have enough time with it to factor it into their nominations. Much will depend on how many reviewers Rockstar actually sends copies to, and whether that includes members of the jury. Nominees are typically announced just days after the game's release, so we won't be waiting long to find out.

What to keep in mind

NateTheHate has a strong track record, but these details are still unofficial. Rockstar hasn't announced a review embargo date or confirmed when copies will be distributed. We'll update you as soon as anything official surfaces.