GTA 6 scalpers are flipping pre-orders on eBay even though anyone can just buy it

GTA 6 pre-orders went live for everyone on June 25, and scalpers wasted no time listing copies on eBay at inflated prices — despite there being almost no logical reason to buy from them.

The standard edition retails at $80, but some eBay listings have already sold for around $90 or more. The catch: GTA 6 is a digital-only release. Rockstar confirmed it's ditching discs entirely for the November launch, so physical boxes sold at retail only contain a download code. That means there are no stock shortages to exploit — Amazon, Best Buy, and Target all still have standard pre-orders available at normal prices. The eBay listings cover both physical code-in-box copies and straight digital codes, with sellers of the latter helpfully noting buyers won't need to pay shipping. Those going for the physical box on eBay are paying a premium plus delivery fees on top.

GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated games in recent memory — Rockstar's first new Grand Theft Auto entry in over 13 years. The decision to go fully digital is a notable industry move, effectively killing the secondary physical market that scalpers typically exploit around major launches. Without limited disc stock to corner, the usual scalper playbook doesn't really apply here.

GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. A separate report claims Rockstar has no plans to ever release a disc version, which means anyone paying above retail on eBay right now is essentially just donating money to a scalper for a product they could buy themselves in two minutes.