GTA 6 Fans Furious Over $400 Collector's Edition Without Game, Compare to Red Dead Redemption 2's Offering

GTA 6 enthusiasts are up in arms over a $400 collector's set that doesn't even include the game, and they're drawing comparisons to previous Rockstar collector's editions.

Rockstar Games recently unveiled a $400 collector's set for GTA 6, packed with premium merchandise but notably missing an actual copy of the game. This has sparked quite an uproar online, with fans feeling it doesn't offer enough value for the price. It has also invited comparisons to other Rockstar collector's editions, such as those for GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

The GTA 6 set features several high-ticket items that likely contributed to the steep price, including a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Oakley sunglasses typically retail for $150–$200, so a custom pair probably pushed the collection's cost even higher. As it stands, this is the most expensive Rockstar collector's edition to date, and even the most devoted fans are hesitant to shell out.

"I hate to say it, but I think I'm gonna pass on the collector's edition," one fan remarked. "$400 is just insane and it doesn't even come with a steelbook copy of the game. I'd rather save my money and buy some individual merch items that look cool rather than some overpriced sunglasses."

Another fan pointed out that a decade ago, GTA 6 would have had a much cheaper yet still premium special edition that included the game along with some of these items: "If this was 2016, they'd have an Ultimate Edition for $129.99 that includes the game, the coke mirror, the snuff spoon, the razor keychain and a map, but we live in 2026 SuperHell."

Red Dead Redemption 2 had a similar collector's box without the game that cost $100, which included various trinkets and replicas of in-game items, such as a physical version of the store catalog. Many believe Rockstar did a far better job with that set, as it offered a ton of interesting merchandise without breaking the bank.

"I would've actually preferred a GTA 6 Collector's Box similar to the one for Red Dead Redemption 2," a fan said. "It felt more connected to the game and the price point of around 100 bucks was also WAY MORE reasonable."

Rockstar's western sequel also had two smaller-scale special editions, priced at $79.99 and $99.99, respectively. The former included a special physical map and digital content for the story mode, while the latter included everything from the previous edition plus a steelbook and special online content. Although GTA 6's $100 Ultimate Edition boasts a ton of extra digital content, it won't entitle you to any kind of steelbook, a disc, or other physical goodies.

One other point of contention among fans is that the $400 collector's set for GTA 6 includes a special physical version of Leonida's map. Historically, Rockstar has bundled a poster/map with previous GTA and Red Dead games. It's currently unclear if the standard boxed copy of GTA 6 will include a map, but IGN has reached out to Rockstar for clarification. Still, the lack of clarity at the moment hasn't stopped fans from fearing the worst.

"I remember this used to come with the normal physical copy of the game," expressed one concerned fan.

GTA 5 also had a lucrative set of special editions, with a $79.99 version that boasted a steelbook, blueprint map of San Andreas, digital content, and yes, a physical copy of the game. There was also a much larger $150 version which featured all of the content in the previous version, as well as a New Era 9FIFTY snapback hat, a security deposit bag with a GTA 5-themed key, and a hefty, premium box to store everything in.

Although GTA 6 won't release on a disc, it will get a physical edition that includes a code in the box. Physical copies will release on November 12, a week before launch, to allow players to pre-load the game. Rockstar is also selling a physical CD and vinyl of GTA 6's album and limited edition DualSense controllers for superfans.