GTA 6 Collector’s Box Still Not Sold Out After 48 Hours

Two days after Rockstar opened pre-orders for its $399.99 GTA 6 Collector’s Box, something almost unheard of happened: nothing. The box — officially the Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection — still hasn’t sold out nearly 48 hours after going on sale, a slowdown the community is calling genuinely rare for anything carrying the Grand Theft Auto name.

https://x.com/RockstarGames/status/2103138661667627456

When Rockstar revealed the 11-item merch box on September 24, the expectation was a sellout in minutes. Rockstar even added a stock-alert feature the night before launch and limited orders to one per customer. Instead, the “Pre-Order Now” button is still sitting there — and fans say the price is the reason.

48 hours later, the “Pre-Order Now” button is still there

TalkEsport confirmed on September 25 that the US Rockstar Store listing was still live at $399.99 with pre-orders open. GTA community member ben, known on X as @videotech, flagged what everyone was thinking: there was “definitely an expectation it would sell within minutes,” especially after Rockstar’s stock-alert buildup and per-customer purchase limits.

That it didn’t has become a talking point across the community rather than the instant sellout most people expected. For context, this is a franchise where GTA V has sold over 230 million copies and where fans once crashed Rockstar’s own store pages on announcement days. A GTA-branded product sitting in stock for two full days is, as Sportskeeda put it, genuinely rare underperformance.

Why fans say $400 is a “hard ask”

The backlash is really about two things: the price, and what’s not in the box. The $399.99 (£349.99 in the UK) collection does not include a copy of GTA 6 — not a disc, not even a digital redeem code. Buyers still have to purchase the game separately, with the Standard Edition at $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition at $99.99.

ben (@videotech), who describes himself as a “massive collector of Rockstar Games” merchandise, summed up the mood in a widely shared post: “£350… is a really hard ask for: – a cardboard box which may not last 15-20 years as a collectible, at least in good condition – glasses…”

He wasn’t alone. Fans have branded the box “slop” and “junk,” with GAMINGbible reporting that some players are already cancelling their pre-orders. A recurring complaint: nothing in the collection features GTA 6’s two protagonists, Jason and Lucia. Instead, the box leans hard on Macca the Gator, a fictional TV-show mascot from the world of Leonida that fans have barely seen — “not a single item I actually like within it,” as one fan put it.

The comparison that keeps coming up is the GTA 5 collector’s edition, which cost around $150 and included the game, and Red Dead Redemption 2’s collector’s box, which shipped in a sturdy metal case rather than cardboard. The Oakley Frogskins sunglasses are widely assumed to be what’s driving the price up — the brand charges $150 to $250 a pair at retail.

Scalpers want $1,500 for a box that’s still in stock

Here’s the strangest twist: while the box sits unsold on Rockstar’s official store, scalpers on marketplaces like eBay are listing it for up to $1,500 — nearly four times the official price. Buyers can still purchase it directly from Rockstar for $399.99 instead of paying the markup, which makes the scalper listings look particularly optimistic.

It’s a sharp contrast with the actual GTA 6 game pre-orders, which are breaking records — Xbox’s strategy chief Matthew Ball says the game is already setting preorder records on Xbox, while PlayStation is reportedly leading the overall conversation. The demand for the game is unprecedented. The demand for the $400 box of merch? Not so much.

Stock status: where you can still buy it

As of the latest checks, pre-orders remain open in the US ($399.99), UK (£349.99), Europe (€399.99) and Canada (CA$559.99), sold only through Rockstar’s own store — retailers like Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy don’t carry it. Rockstar has said ordering details for Asia, Latin America and Australia will follow later. Shipping starts November 19, the same day GTA 6 launches.

The full contents: a 6-inch Macca the Gator figure with stash compartment, matte black GTA VI Oakley Frogskins sunglasses, a New Era 9FORTY snapback hat, a magnetic mirror, a Vice City swizzle spoon, a razor blade keychain, a Leonida Keys crossbody bag, a Chunkee the Manatee shot glass, an enamel pin set in a custom metal tin, premium stickers in a stash bag, and a double-sided souvenir poster showcasing the full Leonida landscape.

What this means

This is a pricing lesson playing out in real time. Rockstar bet that GTA 6 hype would carry a $400 merch box without the game inside — and the market is pushing back. The loudest signal comes from the fans who wanted to buy it: collectors like @videotech, who own everything Rockstar has sold, are publicly saying the math doesn’t work. Their suggested fixes are simple — drop the price, remove the sunglasses, or build the box around Jason and Lucia instead of a mascot.

Rockstar hasn’t responded to the slow sales, and there’s no sign of a price cut or restock drama — the limited quantities just haven’t run out. With Game Informer’s 14-page cover story going digital tomorrow (September 29) with 12 new screenshots, Rockstar’s marketing machine is already moving on to the next beat. Whether the Vice City Collection quietly sells through over the next 52 days or ends up discounted, the message from fans is clear: at $400, the box needed the game — or at least Jason and Lucia.

Sources

• Sportskeeda — GTA 6 Collector’s Edition fails to sell out nearly 48 hours after launch
• TalkEsport — Is the GTA 6 Collector’s Edition Sold Out? Stock and Restock Updates
• MP1st — GTA 6 Collector’s Edition Scalpers Are Charging Up to $1,500
• PC Guide — GTA 6 fans less than impressed by “hot garbage” Collector’s Edition
• GAMINGbible — GTA 6 gamers cancel pre-orders as Rockstar’s reveal branded ‘slop’ and ‘junk’
• TheGTA6Gaming — GTA 6 Collector’s Box: $400 Price, No Game Included — What’s Inside
• TheGTA6Gaming — GTA 6 Game Informer Cover Story (Issue #382): 14 Pages, 12 New Screenshots