The GTA 6 Netflix deal could be a worrying sign of what's to come in gaming

The wait for perhaps the most anticipated game of all time, Grand Theft Auto 6 , has spanned just over a decade since its developer, Rockstar Games, released the last entry in the series.

Its 2023 reveal convinced fans it would arrive sooner than expected — but multiple delays sapped plenty of the excitement.

After years of anticipation, GTA 6 is finally almost here, set to launch on November 19, 2026, on PS5 , Xbox Series X , and Xbox Series S , with no delays in sight.

The hype levels are increasing yet again, and it's undoubtedly an exciting time for the gaming industry.

Unfortunately, the build-up to launch has recently been marred not only by Sony pioneering the end of physical game discs, but also by Rockstar's anti-consumer shenanigans during GTA 6 's dull marketing campaign — starting with the announcement of no physical copy.

In case you missed it, an extended look at GTA 6 will be available on August 27, 2026, on Netflix as a 6-hour exclusive, before being published by Rockstar on YouTube (and presumably other platforms).

In other words, if you want to see what Rockstar has to offer firsthand and at the earliest available opportunity, you'll need to pay for a Netflix subscription.

Now, I'm not a spokesperson for gamers, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who quite literally sees this as a way for Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive (its parent company) to kickstart paid trailers — and the reactions online are a very worrying indication of a potential new precedent.

Stop defending anti-consumer practices (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Here's the thing: you can still be excited about what is arguably the biggest game of all time, and still criticize a developer or publisher for justified reasons.

I think it goes without saying that Rockstar's Netflix exclusivity deal is one of those reasons.

Locking a game trailer or gameplay showcase behind a paywall, even if it is just half an hour, is a massive red flag for any video game company, in my view.

This is an unprecedented situation where fans are the ones paying to view marketing material, the same material that would previously be free to consume at the moment it was published.

My main concern comes from the reaction online; many gamers are effectively defending the exclusivity deal, with typical statements such as "you're only complaining because you're broke" or "it's not that big of a deal, it's just 6 hours".

Neither the price nor the amount of time of exclusivity matters, but rather, it's the principle and what foundation Rockstar and Netflix's move could mean for the future.