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Italian retailer Showgame opened preorders for Grand Theft Auto VI on its website today, listing a PS5 version for €69.90 and a release date of November 19, 2026. The Xbox Series X version is also available at the same price with identical terms. The listing includes a countdown timer (184 days as of this writing), product images, and a preorder button that leads to checkout.
But here's the thing nobody's saying out loud: Rockstar hasn't announced anything. No price, no official date, no preorder start. So what's actually happening?
I dug through Showgame's page, the Reddit threads, the retailer's own fine print, and new reports from Denmark and the US. Let me walk you through what's real, what's speculation, and whether you should hand over your €69.90 (yes, that's the exact price, not a rounded seventy).
The product page is polished. Too polished? Here's what caught my eye:
But scroll to the bottom and there's a disclaimer (my translation from Italian):
“The final official price has not yet been confirmed by Rockstar Games, but at ShowGame you can already book GTA 6 at the promotional price of 69.90€. If the official price increases, those who booked in advance will still keep the price locked.”
That's smart retail. But it's also a bet: Showgame is guessing the final price won't drop below €69.90 (it won't) and that they can fulfill orders if the game actually launches November 2026.
For the skeptics wondering if this is a scam: Showgame is a registered Italian business (Every Player SRL, P.IVA 07001600829) with a physical store in Palermo. Scammers don't integrate Klarna or register VAT numbers.
Reddit users were quick to notice problems. The box art on Showgame's site looks… weird. Fuzzy text, inconsistent noise patterns, a strange blend of the official logo with AI-generated PS5 case elements.
Yeah, that's a red flag. A legitimate retailer using AI-slop box art? Either their designer got lazy, or they rushed this listing without official assets.
New reports from the last few hours change the picture. Retailers in multiple countries are moving at the same time – this isn't a drill, this is happening across three countries.
Denmark: A user on X (formerly Twitter) posted a photo of a physical Elgiganten store display. Behind the glass: a large GTA 6 banner featuring the protagonists and a fall 2026 release date. The Danish text includes “forudb…” – widely interpreted as “forudbestil” meaning “preorder.” The store was in a guarded outdoor mall closed for the night, so nobody could inspect it up close yet.
United States: Gamers spotted that the Xbox web page for GTA 6 updated a few hours ago. Separate sightings of a preorder page on Walmart's site have also popped up.
Italy: Showgame's checkout page is fully functional. Anyone can add GTA 6 PS5 or Xbox Series X to their cart and proceed to payment.
Three countries. Three retailers. Same day. That doesn't feel like a coincidence.
The r/GTA6 thread on this listing (I spent an hour scrolling through it) exploded. Here's the consensus from real people:
A few users even tried to check out. u/LongLooongMaan wrote: “You can actually order this. I reached until the payment details part. Could someone who can afford to lose 70 euros please try pre ordering?”
Nobody volunteered. Smart.
A separate but related story broke today. An email from Best Buy containing marketing materials and specific dates for a GTA 6 preorder campaign leaked online. The timing coincides with parent company Take-Two Interactive's quarterly financial report.
Insider DetectiveSeeds analyzed the situation and highlighted something important: creating that kind of advertising campaign requires precise targeting, approved graphic materials featuring official game art, and fixed timeframes. Neither Best Buy nor the advertising agency involved has issued an official denial. That silence, according to the insider, supports the leak's authenticity. The email might have been sent early by accident or on purpose.
Here's the kicker: DetectiveSeeds warns that if preorders don't open soon, Take-Two shares could drop sharply right before CEO Strauss Zelnick's keynote. Investors have bet big on GTA 6. Retailers don't build campaigns and signage without a green light from the publisher.
Based on today's activity? Possibly within 24-48 hours.
The Best Buy email leak, the Elgiganten signage, the Walmart and Xbox page updates, and Showgame's live checkout page all point to a preorder launch that was supposed to happen today or tomorrow. Someone may have jumped the gun (Showgame), someone may have leaked early (Best Buy), and someone may have put up signage before the official green light (Elgiganten).
But the fact that nobody has denied anything – not Best Buy, not Take-Two, not Rockstar – is deafening. In the past, fake leaks got shot down within hours. Radio silence this long? That's unusual.
DetectiveSeeds put it bluntly: the lack of denial supports authenticity.
Insider Tom Henderson previously said nothing concrete would happen until July or August. But that was before today's coordinated retail activity. Either retailers are jumping the gun on a massive scale, or Rockstar approved a May 18 preorder launch and Henderson's source was off by a few months. I'd argue the second option is more likely. Retailers don't risk legal trouble with Rockstar and Take-Two by running unauthorized campaigns. Elgiganten isn't some fly-by-night shop – it's the largest consumer electronics retailer in Scandinavia.
I'm still cautious. Here's why:
Rockstar hasn't confirmed anything publicly. No tweet. No press release. No trailer 2. Until that happens, any preorder is a bet.
Price is speculative but likely close. €69.90 is the current standard for new PS5 games. GTA 6 might go higher, but Showgame's price lock protects you if it does.
Fulfillment risk is lower than yesterday. With multiple retailers in multiple countries moving in sync, this looks less like one rogue Italian store and more like a coordinated launch.
The AI box art is still embarrassing. That hasn't changed. Real campaigns get real assets.
Here's my honest take: If you were going to preorder GTA 6 the moment it became available anyway, Showgame is probably fine. They're a legitimate business (registered Italian company, Klarna integration, physical store). The price lock is real. And if Rockstar officially opens preorders tomorrow, Showgame will almost certainly honor the orders they've already taken.
But if you want zero risk? Wait. Wait for the official announcement. It feels like it's coming any day now – maybe even hours.
Look, I've been burned by hype before. I remember the GTA V “agent” rumors. I remember the Bully 2 disappointment. So trust me, I get the skepticism.
But this feels different. Too many retailers in too many countries are moving at the same time. Showgame's listing might look janky (AI box art, really?), but the underlying coordination suggests something real is happening.
My advice: Don't preorder from Showgame unless you're okay with the small risk. But do start paying attention. Check Rockstar's official site and Take-Two's investor page. Watch the PlayStation and Xbox stores.
If preorders open officially in the next 48 hours, don't say I didn't warn you.
And if they don't? Well, then retailers just pulled the biggest coordinated fake-out in gaming history. I doubt it.
