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Briefing Release Published New

When do GTA VI reviews come out? The embargo, graded

Not yet, and no date is set. Rockstar hasn't announced a review embargo; GTA V's reviews landed the day before launch. A Brazilian journalist says critics won't get codes and will review the game on site under supervision, which Rockstar hasn't confirmed. Take-Two's CEO says scores matter 'of course', and our own ledger stakes 85% on a Metacritic score of 90 or more.

Illustration: a desk with a wax-sealed envelope on notebooks, a controller and a laptop showing four lit stars and one empty, a sunset skyline outside

Reviews are the last big beat before a launch, and with GTA VI's history of leaks, how they happen is a story too.

Verdict: Confirmed: there are no GTA VI reviews yet and no announced embargo date. Inference, High confidence: GTA V's embargo lifted the day before its launch. Rumor, Low confidence: no review copies, with critics reviewing the game on site. Confirmed: Take-Two says the scores matter.

When do GTA VI reviews come out?

No date has been announced. As of 5 October 2026 Metacritic shows no critic reviews, and Rockstar hasn't said when the embargo lifts. The nearest precedent is GTA V: its reviews went live on Monday 16 September 2013, the day before release. Outlets expect something similar for GTA VI, close to 19 November.

Will critics get GTA VI review copies?

Maybe not. In May 2026 a Brazilian journalist said Rockstar won't send codes and will host critics at a secure location instead, with no photos or video. Rockstar hasn't commented. It fits how Rockstar ran the July previews, hands-off sessions in Edinburgh with a developer playing, but that isn't confirmation.

What score will GTA VI get?

Nobody knows, but expectations are high. Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick said in May that reviews matter "of course", adding that "Rockstar's scores are typically in the mid-90s, sometimes high 90s". GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 both hold 97 on Metacritic.

Our own calibration ledger staked 85% in July that the PS5 version holds a Metacritic score of 90 or more thirty days after release. We'll grade it in December.

What changes this: Rockstar or the outlets announcing the embargo, reviewers describing how they played, and the reviews themselves.

Sources

References

Public sources used across this briefing. A source can support several claims and is listed once per role.

  • Metacritic Reputable outlet https://www.metacritic.com/game/grand-theft-auto-vi/
  • Notebookcheck Reputable outlet https://www.notebookcheck.net/Take-Two-insists-GTA-6-reviews-will-be-crucial-even-as-Rockstar-fears-leaks.1309359.0.html
  • PlayStation Universe Reputable outlet https://www.psu.com/news/gta-v-review-embargo-revealed-psu-review-goes-live-on-monday/

Evidence

Claim record

This briefing is built on 6 classified public-record claims tracked by Vice Atlas — each one graded on its own, and re-graded as official sources land.

Open the claim record — 6 claims
  • Confirmed High confidence

    As of 5 October 2026 there are no Grand Theft Auto VI reviews, and Rockstar hasn't announced when the review embargo lifts.

  • Confirmed Very High confidence

    Take-Two's CEO said in May 2026 that Grand Theft Auto VI's review scores matter 'of course', and that Rockstar's games typically score in the mid-90s; GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 both hold 97 on Metacritic.

  • Confirmed Very High confidence

    Before the Extended Look, Rockstar North held hands-off GTA VI previews in Edinburgh, in July 2026, for press and a few creators, including TGG, El Rubius, Davy Jones and MikeShowSha, with Rob Nelson playing; coverage was embargoed until the Extended Look on 27 August.

  • Inference High confidence

    Rockstar set Grand Theft Auto V's review embargo for 16 September 2013, the day before the game's release.

  • Rumor Low confidence

    Rockstar won't send Grand Theft Auto VI review copies; critics will review it on site, under supervision.

  • Speculation High confidence

    Grand Theft Auto VI's PlayStation 5 version will hold a Metacritic metascore of at least 90 thirty days after release.

Vice Atlas classifies the claims inside each briefing. The briefing itself is an editorial summary, not a standalone truth label. See our methodology.

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