{
“content”: “

GTA 6 Standard vs Ultimate Edition: Which One Should You Actually Buy?

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GTA 6 launches with two editions on November 19, 2026. The Standard Edition includes the full campaign and GTA Online access. The Ultimate Edition adds six exclusive vehicles, four weapons, five single-player shops, and an extra mission. Both include the Vintage Vice City Pack if you pre-order before November 20. The gap is roughly $20 of story-mode content — worth it only if you play the campaign seriously.

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Two editions. One $20 gap. Rockstar Games (a Take-Two Interactive label) confirmed the details via Rockstar Newswire on June 25, 2026, and the question almost everyone is asking is the same: does the extra money buy real content, or just a few skins you’ll forget by week two?

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Here’s the honest version. The Ultimate Edition is not a cosmetic upsell. Most of what it adds is single-player content, and that single fact changes who should buy it. This guide breaks down every exclusive, sorts the buyers into three clear profiles, and tells you plainly when the cheaper edition is the smarter call.

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Fast Recommendation: Two editions, one $20 difference. The short version:

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– Standard Edition gets you the full story campaign, GTA Online (when it arrives later), and the Vintage Vice City Pack if you pre-order before November 20.
\n– Ultimate Edition adds six exclusive vehicles, four weapons, five single-player shops, two extra missions, and cosmetics, all on top of everything Standard includes.
\n– The catch: nearly all of the Ultimate extras are story-mode content, not GTA Online unlocks.
\n– Buy Ultimate if you’re playing the campaign hard at launch. Buy Standard if you’re story-light, budget-conscious, or only here for online later, you can upgrade afterward.

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| Edition | What it is | Verdict |
\n|–|–|–|
\n| Standard | Full game, no exclusives | Right for casual and story-light players. Check price → |
\n| Ultimate | Full game + all single-player exclusives | Worth it for campaign completionists. Check price → |
\n| The gap | ~$20 of SP content | Pay it only if you’ll use single-player day one. |

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Last updated: June 2026.

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What Do Both GTA 6 Editions Include?

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Both editions ship the exact same base game: the complete Grand Theft Auto VI story campaign, set in modern Vice City, starring Jason and Lucia. Buy either one and you get the whole game. No missions, areas, or story beats are locked behind the Ultimate price. The only differences are extras layered on top.

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The baseline, plainly: Standard buyers are not playing a cut-down GTA 6. The campaign is identical. What changes is the pile of bonus vehicles, shops, and cosmetics, not the game you actually came for.

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One more shared point that trips people up: GTA Online is not part of launch day. On November 19, 2026, GTA 6 ships as a single-player game. Rockstar has confirmed the online mode arrives later, after release. That timing matters for this whole decision, and we’ll come back to it.

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The Vintage Vice City Pack: What Every Pre-Order Gets

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The Vintage Vice City Pack is a pre-order bonus included with both the Standard and Ultimate editions, but only if you order before November 20, 2026. It’s the one perk that doesn’t depend on which edition you choose. Per keengamer.com, it’s tied to the pre-order window, not the price tier.

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– Who gets it: Anyone who pre-orders either edition before the cutoff.
\n– The cutoff: November 20, 2026 (per Rockstar Newswire).
\n– Contents (confirmed via Rockstar Newswire):
\n – ’55 Vapid Stanier: a retro-styled classic sedan for story mode
\n – Shore Court Garage: a personal garage near Ocean Beach, with a weapon locker and space to fence stolen goods
\n – Jason’s vintage look: a pastel linen suit and a 1980s haircut
\n – Lucia’s vintage look: a red sequin mini dress and curls
\n – Tropical weapon pattern: a finish for most guns, inspired by Tommy Vercetti’s iconic shirt

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Decision gate: bought the game after November 20? You miss this pack. There’s no confirmed way to buy it separately later. If the bonus matters to you, the move is to lock a pre-order in before the cutoff rather than wait. For how this stacks against other perks, see our full bonuses breakdown.

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What Does the GTA 6 Standard Edition Get You?

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The Standard Edition is the complete game with no extras. You get the full campaign, access to GTA Online once it launches, and the Vintage Vice City Pack if you pre-order in time. That’s it. No exclusive vehicles, no extra shops, no bonus missions. For a lot of players, that’s exactly enough.

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| What you get | What you don’t get |
\n|–|–|
\n| The complete GTA 6 story campaign | Six exclusive vehicles |
\n| GTA Online access (post-launch) | Four exclusive weapons |
\n| Vintage Vice City Pack (pre-order before Nov 20) | Five single-player shops |
\n| Every story mission in the base game | Two exclusive missions/activities |
\n| Free upgrade path to Ultimate later | Bonus cosmetics, garage, and apparel |

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Who the Standard Edition Is Right For

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Standard is the right pick if you fit any of these profiles. Match yourself to a row and act on it.

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– You’re a casual or story-only player. You’ll finish the campaign, maybe replay a few missions, and move on. The exclusives add little for you.
\n– You’re budget-conscious. You want the game without paying for extras you’re unsure about.
\n– You’re an “I’ll decide later” buyer. You’re not certain the single-player bonuses are worth it, so you keep the option open.
\n– You’re mainly here for GTA Online. Since online arrives after launch, none of the Ultimate extras help you on day one anyway.

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If two or more of those describe you, Standard is your edition. You lose nothing in the campaign and keep the door open to upgrade.

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What Standard Edition Players Miss Out On

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Here’s where most guides go soft. The content Standard players skip isn’t all cosmetic. Five of the exclusives are single-player locations, and one is an extra mission. This table shows what’s actually missing and whether it touches gameplay.

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| Feature | Missing from Standard | Impact on gameplay |
\n|–|–|–|
\n| Six exclusive vehicles | Yes | Cars, a buggy, watercraft and a kayak for story mode |
\n| Four exclusive weapons | Yes | Matched revolvers and pistols for Jason and Lucia |
\n| Five exclusive shops | Yes | Customization, salon, tattoo, pawn locations in the world |
\n| Exclusive mission | Yes | The PTT YOUNGIN$ gang compound infiltration |
\n| Exclusive activity | Yes | Wyman’s Classic Car Collection commission |
\n| Cosmetics & garage | Yes | Outfits, tattoos, Paradise Garage hideout |

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The takeaway: this isn’t a skin pack. The shops and the extra mission are story-mode content you simply won’t have. Whether that’s worth $20 depends entirely on how much single-player you’ll actually play.

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What Does the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition Include?

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The Ultimate Edition is the full game plus a stack of single-player extras: six vehicles, four weapons, five shops, two missions/activities, a garage hideout, and cosmetics. The $20 difference doesn’t buy you a separate game or an early-access window. It buys content woven into the campaign world. Here’s every piece, by category.

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Exclusive Vehicles (Six)

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The Ultimate Edition adds six vehicles to your story-mode garage. Per Kotaku’s breakdown, the lineup is:

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1. ’95 Grotti Cheetah: a retro-styled sports car, the headliner of the set.
\n2. ’67 Vapid Dominator Buggy: a classic muscle-car body reworked into an off-road buggy.
\n3. Dinka Enduro: a dirt bike built for getting off the asphalt.
\n4. Shitzu Squalo: a personal watercraft for Vice City’s coastline.
\n5. Crest Kayak: a paddle craft for the quieter waterways.
\n6. Vapid Ganado: a pickup with retro mods.

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These are usable in the campaign from the start, not online-only unlocks. Mixed land, dirt, and water options, handy in a map built around coastline and swamp.

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Exclusive Weapons (Four)

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The Ultimate Edition includes four exclusive weapons, designed as matched pairs split between the two protagonists. Per Kotaku and corroborating search results:

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– Hawk Revolver: Jason’s revolver.
\n– Little Morgan Revolver: Lucia’s revolver.
\n– Girardi ES9 Custom Pistol: Jason’s sidearm.
\n– Klose K17 Custom Pistol: Lucia’s sidearm.

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The pairing matters thematically: each protagonist gets a his-and-hers loadout that fits the dual-lead structure of the story. Functionally, they’re extra options in your arsenal rather than required gear.

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The Five Exclusive Shops: Why They Matter

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This is the section that caused the most debate, and it’s the heart of the buying decision. The Ultimate Edition adds five exclusive shops, and they are single-player locations in the world, not GTA Online businesses. Per Kotaku and keengamer.com, here’s the lineup.

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| Shop | What it offers | Category |
\n|–|–|–|
\n| Rideout Customs | Vehicle customization | Cars / mods |
\n| Sara’s Unisex Salon | Hairstyles and grooming | Appearance |
\n| Stock 305 | Apparel and streetwear | Clothing |
\n| Electric Fang Tattoo | 50+ tattoo designs | Body art |
\n| One-Eyed Willie’s | Pawn / fencing | Economy |

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The key distinction most guides bury: these are single-player shops, not GTA Online exclusives. If you only ever touch multiplayer, this content doesn’t reach you on day one, and online isn’t even live at launch. That’s the cleanest test for whether the Ultimate Edition is worth it for you.

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Electric Fang Tattoo: designed by real artists

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One detail almost no competitor explains: the 50+ tattoos at Electric Fang aren’t generic Rockstar art. Per Kotaku, they were designed by FAILE, the Brooklyn-based art collective. That’s a genuine cross-media collaboration baked into the game, the kind of thing that adds real value if you care about the art, and means nothing if you don’t. Either way, it’s a fact worth knowing before you weigh the $20.

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Exclusive Mission and Activities

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The Ultimate Edition includes extra single-player content beyond items. Per Kotaku and keengamer.com:

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– PTT YOUNGIN$ gang compound infiltration: an exclusive mission tied to the PTT YOUNGIN$ crew.
\n– Wyman’s Classic Car Collection commission: a collection-style activity for car hunters.

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This is the part that pushes the Ultimate Edition past “cosmetic DLC.” An exclusive mission is playable story content. It’s not headline-grabbing the way a Standard’s statue would be, but it’s the strongest single argument for the upgrade if you live in the campaign.

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Apparel, Cosmetics, and Garage

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The lowest-priority tier, but included for completeness. Per Kotaku and search results, the Ultimate Edition also adds:

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– Vice City Style outfits: themed clothing sets.
\n– Goodtime Gear (Macca the Gator): branded cosmetic gear.
\n– Paradise Garage (Watson Bay): an exclusive hideout with a weapon locker and fencing.
\n– Exclusive tattoos and hairstyles: extra appearance options.

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Treat this tier as the garnish, not the meal. Nobody should pay the upgrade for outfits alone, but bundled with the shops and the mission, it rounds out the package.

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GTA 6 Standard vs Ultimate Edition: What’s the Difference?

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If you only read one section, read this one. Here’s every difference between the two editions in a single view.

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| Feature | Standard | Ultimate |
\n|–|–|–|
\n| Full story campaign | ✅ | ✅ |
\n| GTA Online (post-launch) | ✅ | ✅ |
\n| Vintage Vice City Pack (pre-order) | ✅ | ✅ |
\n| Six exclusive vehicles | ❌ | ✅ |
\n| Four exclusive weapons | ❌ | ✅ |
\n| Five exclusive shops (single-player) | ❌ | ✅ |
\n| Exclusive mission + activity | ❌ | ✅ |
\n| Exclusive cosmetics + garage | ❌ | ✅ |
\n| Upgrade available later | ✅ (to Ultimate) | n/a |
\n| Price | Check price → | Check price → |

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The pattern is clear: every exclusive sits in the single-player layer. There is no online-only perk, no early access, no performance difference. You’re paying purely for story-mode breadth.

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Can You Upgrade From Standard to Ultimate Later?

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Yes. Rockstar will sell an Ultimate Edition Upgrade as a separate purchase, so you can start on Standard and add the exclusives later. The official upgrade price hasn’t been announced yet, it’s expected to be around the $20 gap, per gamer.org and sportskeeda.com, but that number is not confirmed.

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Confirmed vs. expected: the upgrade exists [OFFICIAL]. The upgrade price does not yet [UNCONFIRMED]. Rockstar could price it at the $20 difference, or higher. Plan around the path, not the number.

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Should You Start With Standard and Upgrade?

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Use this as a quick decision flow:

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– You already know you want the single-player extras → buy Ultimate now. Upgrading later risks paying more if Rockstar prices the upgrade above $20.
\n– You’re genuinely unsure → buy Standard, play the campaign, and upgrade only if you find yourself wanting the shops and mission. Safe, no money wasted on extras you skip.
\n– You’re online-first → buy Standard. Online isn’t live at launch, so there’s no rush, and you can upgrade once you’ve decided the SP content is worth it.

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The honest framing: the upgrade is insurance, not a free pass. It protects undecided buyers from overpaying up front. It does not protect you from a higher-than-expected upgrade price down the line. Commit early only if you’re certain.

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Physical vs Digital: Does the Edition Change Anything?

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No. The edition you buy doesn’t change the physical-versus-digital math, because there’s barely a “physical” option to begin with. Per gamer.org, GTA 6 boxed copies contain only a download code, there is no disc in the box. Both versions are effectively digital.

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Decision gate: buying physical for the disc? There’s no disc. The boxed Ultimate Edition is a download code in a case, identical in content to the digital Ultimate Edition. Pick physical only if you want a collectible box or a retailer deal, not for a disc that doesn’t exist.

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For a fuller breakdown of that trade-off, see our digital vs physical pre-order guide.

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Which GTA 6 Edition Should You Buy?

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Match yourself to one of these three profiles, then act. No edition is “better” in a vacuum, it depends entirely on how you’ll play.

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| Your situation | Our recommendation | Why |
\n|–|–|–|
\n| Casual / story-light player | Standard | You won’t use the exclusives enough to justify the gap. |
\n| Campaign completionist / dedicated fan | Ultimate | The shops, vehicles, and exclusive mission are real SP content you’ll use. |
\n| Undecided / budget-tight | Standard now, upgrade later | Keep your money, upgrade only if you want the extras. |

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Here’s the blunt version. There is no middle edition, no Ultimate, no Standard’s, no in-between tier the way GTA V had. Rockstar gave you two choices and a clean $20 fork. That actually simplifies the decision: if you’ll play single-player hard, the Ultimate Edition is worth it. If you won’t, it isn’t, and Standard plus a possible upgrade covers you. Don’t pay for a his-and-hers revolver set you’ll never equip.

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Once you’ve picked your edition, the next decisions are where to buy and on which console. Start with how to pre-order GTA 6, then settle the hardware question with our PS5 vs Xbox pre-order guide. Pre-orders are confirmed live as of June 25, see GTA 6 pre-orders are live.

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When you’re ready to compare live listings for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, check current editions on Amazon. Always buy from an authorized retailer, and ignore any site promising GTA 6 early or cheap.

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Self-Check: Is the Ultimate Edition Worth It for You?

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Run through this list. The more you tick, the more the upgrade earns its keep:

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– [ ] I’ll play the single-player campaign for more than a quick run-through.
\n– [ ] I customize cars, characters, and weapons when a game lets me.
\n– [ ] An extra story mission and a collection activity sound worth my time.
\n– [ ] I’d rather have everything unlocked now than decide later.
\n– [ ] I’m not buying this only for GTA Online down the line.

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Three or more checks: the Ultimate Edition fits how you play. Two or fewer: start with Standard and keep the upgrade in your back pocket.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What is included in the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition?

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The Ultimate Edition includes everything in the Standard Edition plus six exclusive vehicles, four exclusive weapons, five single-player shops (Rideout Customs, Sara’s Unisex Salon, Stock 305, Electric Fang Tattoo, and One-Eyed Willie’s), an exclusive mission and activity, the Paradise Garage hideout, and bonus cosmetics. Per Kotaku, nearly all of it is single-player content.

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Is the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition worth it?

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It depends on how you play. If you’ll spend serious time in the single-player campaign, the exclusive shops, vehicles, and mission make the ~$20 gap worth it. If you’re story-light or waiting mainly for GTA Online, which isn’t live at launch, the extras add little, and Standard is the smarter buy.

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Can you upgrade from GTA 6 Standard to Ultimate Edition?

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Yes. Rockstar will offer an Ultimate Edition Upgrade as a separate purchase, so you can buy Standard first and add the exclusives later. The official upgrade price hasn’t been announced yet, though it’s expected to be around $20 per gamer.org and sportskeeda.com.

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What is the Vintage Vice City Pack?

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It’s a pre-order bonus included with both the Standard and Ultimate editions, for anyone who orders before November 20, 2026. Per Rockstar Newswire, it contains a ’55 Vapid Stanier classic sedan, a Shore Court Garage near Ocean Beach (weapon locker + fencing), vintage outfits and hairstyles for Jason and Lucia, and a Tommy Vercetti-inspired tropical weapon pattern. Buy after the November 20 cutoff and you miss it.

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Are the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition shops single-player or online?

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Single-player. All five exclusive shops are story-mode locations in Vice City, not GTA Online businesses. Since GTA Online isn’t available at launch on November 19, 2026, the Ultimate Edition’s content is effectively 100% single-player on day one.

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How many editions does GTA 6 have?

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Just two: Standard and Ultimate. There is no Ultimate, Premium, or Standard Edition at launch, unlike GTA V, which shipped multiple tiers. That keeps the choice simple, two options, one $20 difference.

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What is the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition price?

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Rockstar confirmed pricing on June 25, 2026, but listings vary by retailer and region. Rather than quote a number that shifts, check the current price on Amazon for live PS5 and Xbox Series X|S listings before you buy.

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Pre-order GTA 6 now on the main page

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