Rockstar Games says ‘GTA VI’ pre-orders starting. Here’s when.

FILE: Scenes from the trailer of Grand Theft Auto VI are shown on a smartphone and monitor in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

Take-Two Interactive’s highly awaited “Grand Theft Auto VI” will become available to pre-order on June 25, the game’s developers said on Thursday, likely sealing its Nov. 19 launch after multiple delays.

“GTA VI” is expected to be the world’s largest videogame launch, bringing in billions of dollars in sales within days of release due to the franchise’s heft and strong track record of its creator Rockstar Games.

Here are some more details:

• Shares of Take-Two rose around four per cent in morning trading.
• With pre-orders beginning next week, gamers will be at ease after having waited for over 13 years and experienced leaks and two delays for the next installment in the best-selling franchise.
• Expectations for “GTA VI” are extremely high, largely due to the blowout success of its predecessor, “GTA V,” which is one of the best-selling games of all time with nearly 230 million units sold.
• The “GTA” series is a sandbox game, giving players freedom to explore the environments, buy weapons, and flashy clothing and vehicles.
• Take-Two previously said launch marketing for “GTA VI” is expected to begin this summer.

Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath