- Primary Subject: Grand Theft Auto VI
- Key Update: Fans discovered Rockstar preorder code, but archived pages suggest it may be years old
- Status: Ongoing community speculation tied to Best Buy affiliate rumors
- Last Verified: May 15, 2026
- Quick Answer: Grand Theft Auto VI fans recently uncovered “cta_preorder” code on Rockstar’s website while alleged Best Buy affiliate emails hinted that pre-orders could begin around May 18, 2026. However, archived versions of Rockstar’s site reportedly show the preorder code has existed since at least 2024, meaning it likely is not new evidence. Many fans now believe the Best Buy affiliate emails appear far more credible than the resurfaced website discovery, though Rockstar still has not officially confirmed any preorder date.
Grand Theft Auto VI fans have once again gone into full detective mode after a new wave of rumors suggested Rockstar Games could finally be preparing to open pre-orders for the most anticipated game in the industry.
The speculation exploded across Reddit, X, YouTube, and gaming forums after alleged Best Buy affiliate emails started circulating online, with many players believing the retailer may have accidentally revealed when GTA 6 pre-orders are scheduled to begin.
At nearly the same time, fans also uncovered what looked like hidden “preorder” references inside Rockstar’s own website code, creating even more excitement that an official announcement could be close.
However, while the Best Buy situation appears to have some legitimate backing, the Rockstar website discovery itself may not actually be new at all.
What Did The Alleged Best Buy GTA 6 Pre-Order Leak Reveal?
Most of the current hype is coming from the supposed Best Buy affiliate campaign leak, with screenshots and videos online allegedly showing emails sent to partners about a “GTA 6 Pre Order (Physical Game)” promotion running from May 18 to May 21, 2026.
Since the campaign begins on May 18, many fans quickly assumed that Rockstar and major retailers could officially open GTA 6 pre-orders that same day.
The rumor quickly spread because it was not limited to a single anonymous screenshot floating around social media.
Multiple creators, deal accounts, and affiliate users reportedly claimed they independently received the same email in their inboxes.
Some allegedly showcased the email live during streams, while others uploaded photos and video recordings as proof.
Popular gaming deal accounts also reportedly acknowledged receiving similar affiliate notifications, helping convince many fans that the emails themselves were not simply fabricated images made for attention online.
Despite the increasing legitimacy surrounding the campaign, fans still believe it is too early to assume that pre-orders are guaranteed to open on May 18.
What Was The Rockstar Website “Preorder” Discovery?
As the Best Buy pre-order rumors continued spreading online, fans also turned their attention toward Rockstar’s GTA 6 website after users browsing the site’s source code spotted a line labeled “cta_preorder,” leading many to believe Rockstar may already be preparing a future pre-order button behind the scenes.
Since “CTA” commonly stands for “call to action” in marketing terminology, many players interpreted the code as evidence that pre-orders were about to go live very soon.
The timing of the discovery made the speculation even bigger because it surfaced almost simultaneously with the Best Buy affiliate leak.
Across social media, many fans combined the two stories together and treated them as connected evidence pointing toward an imminent pre-order announcement.
Some posts even described the website code as “newly discovered” proof that Rockstar had recently updated the GTA 6 website behind the scenes.
Why Are Fans Saying The Website Discovery Might Be Misleading?
However, this is where things become more complicated, because while the “cta_preorder” code is real and can reportedly still be found within the website source, several users later claimed the exact same code has actually existed on Rockstar’s GTA 6 website for quite some time.
Archived versions of the site from as far back as 2024 reportedly already contained the same preorder-related tag.
That means the discovery is likely not a fresh update connected to the current rumors at all. Because of that, many fans now believe the Rockstar website code has been misunderstood.
Instead of pointing to an immediate preorder announcement, the code may simply exist as part of Rockstar’s broader backend infrastructure for future preorders.
In other words, it confirms Rockstar obviously plans to add pre-order functionality at some point, but it does not necessarily prove that an announcement is happening immediately.
This difference has become one of the biggest talking points online, with many fans arguing that the Best Buy leak and Rockstar website code should not be treated as the same type of evidence since one appears genuinely recent while the other may have existed for years.
Others believe the timing is still suspicious enough to keep speculation alive, especially with Rockstar remaining completely silent while the rumors continue spreading across the internet.
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