TL;DR
Rockstar hasn't announced a GTA 6 review embargo. Reported Insider Gaming says reviews go live before the November 19 launch. Rumor A ResetEra poster says the embargo lifts Wednesday, November 18, with Metacritic scores around 6–7 AM ET, and some outlets held to 12:01 AM ET November 19. As of October 26, no outlet has reported receiving review codes. GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 both had reviews the day before launch and both scored 97 on Metacritic.
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Key facts
| Fact | Answer | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official review embargo | Not announced | Confirmed | Rockstar |
| Reviews before launch | Yes, per Insider Gaming (Oct 14) | Reported | Insider Gaming |
| Embargo date | Nov 18, Metacritic ~6–7 AM ET | Rumor | Notebookcheck (BlackBate, ResetEra) |
| Review codes | Before end of October (NateTheHate) | Rumor | Notebookcheck |
| GTA V Metacritic | 97 | Confirmed | Metacritic |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 Metacritic | 97 | Confirmed | Metacritic |
When do GTA 6 reviews come out?
Confirmed Rockstar and Take-Two haven't announced a review embargo, review date or review program as of October 26, 2026 (Rockstar Games).
Reported On October 14, Insider Gaming reported that GTA 6 reviews will be published before the November 19 release. It said it knew the preliminary embargo date but didn't print it because it could still move (Insider Gaming).
Rumor On October 23, ResetEra poster BlackBate (a short record of correct calls since 2021) said the embargo lifts Wednesday, November 18, with Metacritic scores going live around 12:01–1:01 PM CET. Some sites and YouTube channels would reportedly wait until 12:01 AM ET on November 19, launch day (Notebookcheck).
GTA 6 review embargo time in your time zone
If the November 18 rumor is right, the first wave converts like this (our conversion; US is on standard time by mid-November):
| Time zone | First reviews (Rumor) | Held-back outlets (Rumor) |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | 6:01–7:01 AM, Wed Nov 18 | 12:01 AM, Thu Nov 19 |
| Central (CT) | 5:01–6:01 AM, Wed Nov 18 | 11:01 PM, Wed Nov 18 |
| Pacific (PT) | 3:01–4:01 AM, Wed Nov 18 | 9:01 PM, Wed Nov 18 |
| UK (GMT) | 11:01 AM–12:01 PM, Wed Nov 18 | 5:01 AM, Thu Nov 19 |
| Central Europe (CET) | 12:01–1:01 PM, Wed Nov 18 | 6:01 AM, Thu Nov 19 |
The game itself unlocks at midnight local time on November 19 (12:00 AM ET in the US) per store listings. See GTA 6 release time for every region.
Have GTA 6 review codes gone out?
Rumor Insider NateTheHate said copies would be made available to media before the end of October (Notebookcheck). BlackBate said digital PS5 and Xbox codes hadn't gone out as of October 23 and could arrive the week of October 26 or early November, giving critics two to three weeks (Notebookcheck).
As of October 26, no outlet has publicly reported receiving a code. An older May claim that Rockstar would skip codes and host reviewers at a supervised location was never confirmed, and the October reports point the other way.
Rumor BlackBate also doesn't expect hands-on previews before reviews: creators have reportedly watched gameplay without controlling Jason or Lucia (Notebookcheck).
What will GTA 6 score on Metacritic?
Nobody knows yet. GTA 6's Metacritic page has no critic score until the embargo lifts. Predictions vary: Insider Gaming's podcast hosts guessed many scores would land in the 83–87 range, which most fans dispute (Notebookcheck). Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said reviews matter and noted Rockstar's mid-to-high-90s track record (same source).
Confirmed How Rockstar's last two big launches scored and when reviews landed:
| Game | Metacritic | Reviews published |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V (2013) | 97 | Day before launch |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) | 97 | Day before launch |
Should you wait for reviews before buying?
If the November 18 date holds, you get roughly a day between the first reviews and launch. Things to know:
- Pre-load starts November 12 for digital pre-orders, a week before reviews (pre-load guide).
- Pre-order bonuses (Vintage Vice City Pack, plus a GTA+ month on digital) apply to purchases before November 20, so buying on launch day still gets them (pre-order bonus guide).
- Prices: no big US store is below $79.99. See GTA 6 deals for the extras worth having.
Avoiding spoilers on review day
Written reviews usually stay spoiler-light; video reviews and clips from held-back outlets may not. Mute "GTA 6", "Lucia", "Jason" and "Leonida" on X for November 18–19 if you want to go in blind. We don't publish leaks, and our launch guides will flag any story content.