Earlier today, Rockstar Games unveiled a new collector's edition for Grand Theft Auto VI, priced at $400. The box does not include the base game; instead, it features a variety of Vice City-themed merchandise such as Oakley sunglasses, shot glasses, and vinyl figures. The high-priced merchandise bundle has sparked mixed reactions among players, with most GTA fans disapproving of its cartoonish art style and design.
On Thursday, Rockstar officially opened pre-orders for the "Grand Theft Auto VI: #Funtime State – Vice City Collector's Edition." The box set will launch alongside the game on November 19 and includes various merchandise and bonuses, mostly centered around a fictional TV show within the game that players can watch in-game. The items include a pink crocodile statue, enamel pins featuring cartoon characters from the show, and a double-sided poster displaying the Vice City map and show characters. This design approach is quite unusual—especially since players haven't seen this fictional show yet. Combined with the inflated price, all-cartoon character designs, and the absence of the base game, these factors have quickly led to widespread backlash in the GTA community against this $400 box set.
GTA modder Ash responded to Rockstar's announcement on Twitter: "Bro, no way. At this price, you've got to include the base game."
A user on Bluesky stated: "The entire marketing campaign for GTA VI feels like it was tailor-made for those who bet Everythinggj on Kalshi."
Another Twitter user replied: "$400 for an ugly statue, a few cheap hats, and a shot glass, without even including the game? That's ridiculous. Not buying."
Another user posted on social media: "This thing is ugly as hell. $400 and it doesn't even include the game? Are you kidding me?"
"$400 for some useless junk? Not buying," said one user.
A user responded to the merchandise on Bluesky: "I usually never root for a game to fail, but this time I genuinely hope this thing flops hard."
Another fan replied to a post by a GTA content creator showcasing the collector's edition: "This is the first time I've saved up enough to buy a Rockstar collector's edition. I've been looking forward to it, but this is so disappointing. It's just not worth the price."
Another user commented: "Honestly, I quite like this merch set, but I really wish they'd release statues of Jason and Lucia or something. If they had swapped in a more affordable eyewear brand and added a T-shirt, it would have been better. I think the pricing is definitely the biggest flaw here, but there should be more merchandise coming later."
"We wanted Jason and Lucia—instead we got a crocodile," one fan complained, attaching a crying emoji to their tweet.
This is probably the biggest point of contention aside from the price. Many fans were hoping for statues of Jason and Lucia, or other merchandise directly related to GTA VI and the series' IP, rather than cartoon characters from a fictional show. I'll admit I'm a die-hard GTA fan, but I have zero interest in spending $400 on what's inside this box. Fans are hoping Rockstar will lower the price or release more special merchandise in the future. While I'm sure Rockstar will roll out a ton of GTA VI-themed merch in the coming weeks, I doubt the price of this collector's edition will drop anytime soon.