GTA 6 Pre Orders Could Open May 18 After Leaked Best Buy Affiliate Email Sparks Fresh Hype
Grand Theft Auto VI may be about to enter its next major commercial phase, as a leaked Best Buy affiliate email is now fueling widespread speculation that physical pre orders could open on Monday, May 18. The rumor first gained traction through Frogboyx1Gaming on X, where the creator shared an email referencing a “GTA 6 Pre Order (Physical Game)” campaign tied to a May 18 through May 21 commission window. Major outlets reporting on the leak say the email mentions a 5% affiliate payout and appears to be connected to Best Buy’s creator marketing pipeline, although neither Rockstar Games nor Best Buy has publicly confirmed the campaign.
Looks Like GTA 6 Preorders are coming very Soon!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/hmMmX5avOJ
— Frogboyx1Gaming (@Frogboyx1Gaming) May 14, 2026
What is making this rumor harder to dismiss is that the same message appears to have reached more than one recipient. Beyond the original post, matching reports and screenshots have also circulated through a ResetEra discussion, a GTA Forums post, and a Cheap Ass Gamer related post on X. That does not make the leak official, but it does strengthen the case that this was a real affiliate communication rather than a one off fabrication.
GTA 6 Pre-Orders Start via Best Buy on May 18th. Got this in an email from the Best Buy Affiliate Account. pic.twitter.com/A1RcGI6uK8
— Cheap Ass Gamer (@videogamedeals) May 14, 2026
The timing is what really makes the story strategically interesting. Rockstar has already confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, while Take Two has officially set its next earnings report for Thursday, May 21, after market close. If pre orders do go live on May 18, it would place the opening sales burst and media momentum directly in front of one of the company’s most closely watched investor updates of the year. That is a very plausible marketing sequence, even if the exact timing has not yet been confirmed by the publisher.
At the same time, it is important not to overstate what this leak actually tells us. The reported Best Buy message appears to reference a physical game affiliate campaign, not a full public breakdown of editions, pricing, or digital storefront timing. It also does not confirm whether Rockstar plans to pair the launch of pre orders with a new trailer, gameplay reveal, or collector’s edition announcement. Those are all reasonable expectations from the market, but they remain expectations, not facts.
That leaves one especially important unanswered question: price. For now, Rockstar has not announced how much Grand Theft Auto VI will cost, and this leak does not settle that issue. So while the Best Buy email may be the strongest signal yet that the pre order machine is about to start, fans should still treat Monday as a possible turning point rather than a confirmed date until Rockstar or Take Two says so publicly.
Do you think Rockstar will open GTA 6 pre orders with just a retail switch flip, or is this the moment for Trailer 3 and full edition details to finally arrive?
