On November 18 at 12:01 Paris time, GTA 6 scores could land on Metacritic, the day before release. For now, that time rests on a single forum post, and neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has commented on it. The GTA 6 embargo (the date before which the press may not publish its reviews) therefore remains a rumor, which we put in order here with what can be verified.
A single forum post sets the GTA 6 embargo
Tout part de Notebookcheck (Adam Corsetti, October 24), which relays a post made on October 23 on ResetEra by BlackBate. According to the poster, the embargo lifts on November 18: scores would appear on Metacritic between 12:01 and 13:01 Paris time (6 to 7 a.m. on the US East Coast). Notebookcheck says this forum member is not well known, but has built a reliable record since 2021, with correct announcements for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Death Stranding, Pragmata and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
A good track record is not a confirmed fact. We found no other primary source for this time, and Notebookcheck itself advises taking these details with a grain of salt. Treat the announced GTA 6 embargo as an indication, not a schedule.
Written reviews first, videos on launch day
The most useful detail for players concerns the order of publication. According to the same leak, some sites or YouTube channels would have to wait until 6:01 Paris time on November 19, launch day, to publish. Notebookcheck offers an explanation, which remains a hypothesis: Rockstar would prefer written reviews to set a critical consensus first, then videos, which may show story scenes, to arrive when the game unlocks on the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store.
In plain terms, if the rumor holds, you would read reviews at noon on the 18th, but you would see almost no video reviews before launch. The same sources also doubt that content creators will get hands-on sessions: so far, they have been invited to watch gameplay, not to play Jason and Lucia.
Where the press copies stand
On October 15, Rockstar Report wrote that reviews are planned before the November 19 release, with no official date. The site reports that Insider Gaming knows a preliminary date but is not publishing it, because it could move. It also cites NateTheHate, on ResetEra: press copies would be distributed before the end of October.
BlackBate, again according to Notebookcheck, believes the digital codes for PS5 and Xbox had not been sent yet: they would arrive the week of October 26 or in early November. That would give reviewers two to three weeks in the fictional Florida of Leonida. Such a schedule also explains why no score is circulating today.
The GTA V precedent: reviews the day before release
This GTA 6 embargo would not be unprecedented. GTA V was released on September 17, 2013, and the reference list on its Wikipedia page dates the reviews from Eurogamer, GamesRadar, Destructoid and Game Informer to September 16. Notebookcheck claims that GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 followed the same pattern, with reviews published one day before launch. We checked GTA V, not Red Dead Redemption 2.
A TV spot and Burger Shot stands: what they say
Rockstar has also stepped up its pre-launch communication. On October 20, during the 76ers-Knicks game aired on NBC, a first American TV spot ran. Martin Cid Magazine (Jun Satō, October 23) sees it as the October 15 launch trailer, shortened: the shower kiss and Lucia’s ankle monitor are cut, the guns and car chases stay, and the end card shows only PlayStation. A 60-second version is also in circulation. Rockstar has announced nothing and commented on nothing.
Our reading: this is an adaptation for American television, not a change to the game. Martin Cid also points out that the game still launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on the same day. It adds that the next obvious slot for the spot would be the Heat-Bucks game on November 18, the day before release, according to TalkEsport, and that the price would be 80 dollars for the Standard edition and 100 dollars for the Ultimate, with preloading on November 12 (Engadget). We have no euro price.
In Miami, LibertyCity (October 22, citing Insider Gaming) reports Burger Shot and Cluckin’ Bell stands at the Kaseya Center, the Miami Heat’s arena, with a mural of Macca, the game’s alligator. Burger Shot rebrands a local chain there, Skinny Louie’s. See also our article on the real Miami hotel that became the Y Hotel and the one on the latest trailer, which reveals Justice. As for false leads, the Xbox Cloud exclusivity scoop did not last 24 hours: a reminder to cross-check sources.
Pre-order before the reviews or wait for noon on the 18th
In practice, you have two options. Pre-ordering now means buying without a score: the GTA 6 embargo, if it falls at noon on the 18th, leaves only the day of the 18th between the reviews and release. Waiting means reading the written reviews first, then deciding, knowing that video reviews may arrive after launch. Either way, remember that the date of the 18th, the 12:01 time and the text-then-video order come from a single person, and that only a statement from Rockstar or from the review outlets will confirm them.
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