UAE gamers are planning holidays and spending up to AED370 on pre-orders as the November 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) approaches, ending a 13-year wait since the release of GTA 5.
While some residents are preparing to spend days playing the game, others are weighing the cost and comparing prices across international platforms and retailers.
Despite concerns over pricing, players say they are looking forward to returning to Vice City, exploring the map and experiencing Rockstar Games’ storytelling, missions and gameplay.
“I don’t think I’ll leave the house for a couple of days,” Shannon Soans, a Dubai resident, told Lana.
GTA 6 brings back memories of Dubai school days
“When I finished GTA V on my PS3 back in 2013, I [was] in high school in Dubai,” Soans recalled, adding that he is looking forward to exploring the map, completing the storyline and taking on main and side missions.
“13 years later we finally have GTA VI. When they released the teaser of the game on Netflix, it got me feeling like a teenager again – EXCITED!” he said.
The Dubai resident, who works in the media and public relations industry, believes the time Rockstar has spent developing the title will make the wait worthwhile. “It’s a game that Rockstar took ages to make and I feel that all GTA fans will find it 100 per cent worth it.”
Having purchased the game through the PlayStation Store, Soans also believes the cost is justified. “I think it’s about time that Rockstar released this game since fans have been waiting ages for the game to launch. I’m just glad that it’s finally here and I cannot wait to play it,” he said.
For 30-year-old Sheikh Ashique Usman, another UAE resident, the anticipation has influenced plans beyond gaming. Having followed GTA since childhood, he has arranged a holiday to coincide with the release and purchased the Ultimate Edition for $99.99 (AED367 approximately).
“As someone who’s pre-planned a holiday to line up with the release date, I don’t think that I even regret getting the ultimate edition,” Usman said, adding that he believes the franchise has continued to set expectations for games over the years.
“I’m someone who has played GTA games from childhood all the way until now, and GTA has always set the standard for AAA games for me. I honestly can’t think of a single game from the series that has been a disappointment,” Usman said, pointing to GTA: San Andreas, which continues to attract players years after its release.
For the Indian expat who works as a Graphic Design Specialist in the UAE, each release has brought changes to graphics, maps, characters and gameplay features. The next instalment offers an opportunity to discover what Rockstar has introduced.
“What I’m most excited about is seeing how Rockstar keeps taking things to the next level with every new game,” he said, adding that he is particularly interested in Easter eggs, pop culture references and details players can discover while exploring the game world.
“I’ve basically grown up with GTA, so seeing how far the series has come and what Rockstar does next is probably what I’m looking forward to the most. After all these years of waiting, at least one thing I can be sure of is the screenplay and storytelling. Even if everything else isn’t perfect, I know Rockstar will deliver when it comes to the story,” he said.
Usman believes the story alone could justify the cost, even if some features do not meet expectations. However, he also acknowledged that opinions about games differ and that reviews do not always reflect an individual’s experience.
“Honestly, every game is subjective. I’m not someone who necessarily looks at every game with a fine-tooth comb, so I tend to enjoy games that others might consider subpar,” he said.
GTA 6 UAE price: Is AED367 worth spending?
The UAE PlayStation Store lists GTA 6’s Standard Edition at $79.99 (approximately AED294) and the Ultimate Edition at $99.99 (approximately AED367).
“When GTA 5 came out in 2013, it was $60 and now GTA 6 is $80. Which isn’t much of a different when you think of inflation and time value of money, it roughly comes up to the same price,” Usman said.
He also purchased the game through the UAE PlayStation Store rather than an account registered in another country, citing concerns about regional restrictions.
“I bought it from the UAE PlayStation store. I wouldn’t want to risk buying it on a different region account because some providers region lock games which would cause a huge bummer for me if that were to happen,” he explained, adding that he later discovered an Amazon offer that was approximately $30 to $40 cheaper than the price paid for the pre-order.
“Although, had I waited a while there was an offer for the game on Amazon which was about 30-40 bucks cheaper than what I paid for the preorder. Oh well,” he said.
GTA 6 graphics and AI: What players want to experience
Like Usman, for Dheeraj Raju, much of the anticipation centres on the technology behind GTA 6 and the level of detail players could encounter while exploring the world.
“Its incredible ray-traced lighting, realistic water physics, and chaotic, dense crowds,” Raju said, describing what he is looking forward to seeing in the new game. “In short, it is the massive details and AI they have used is what is all gamers like me are hyped about,” the Dubai-based technical engineer added.
Having purchased the game through the PlayStation Store, Raju believes the cost is justified, as GTA 6 could continue attracting players for another decade. “The cost is realistic as it’s going to be there for more than a decade, and will have online functionality later on,” he said.
Raju also views GTA as a form of escape, allowing players to experience situations they would not encounter outside the game. “For me, GTA is all about going in guns blazing and wreaking havoc in ways you can’t in real life. It offers an escape, a rush of excitement and a sense of reward every time you complete a mission,” he said.
Developed by Rockstar Games, GTA 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game follows Jason and Lucia through the state of Leonida, which includes Vice City.
