Browsing the Xbox Store today might make it look like Grand Theft Auto VI has already launched. The game's product page currently displays more than 2,000 user reviews despite nobody outside Rockstar Games having access to the full release.
The reviews are not evidence of early access. Instead, they are the result of a confirmed Xbox Store UI issue that mistakenly allowed customers who pre-ordered the game to submit ratings before launch. The unusual behavior was quickly noticed by members of the GTA community, who documented the storefront bug after discovering the review button was active.
What happened?
Digital storefronts normally prevent users from reviewing games until they have officially launched. Many platforms also require players to have actually launched the game before they can leave a review.
In this case, that safeguard appears to have failed.
Players who had pre-ordered GTA 6 found that the review section on the Xbox Store was fully unlocked. Although nobody could actually play the game, thousands submitted joke reviews, meme ratings and comments about pricing, resulting in an aggregate score that has no connection to the game's actual quality.
Why these reviews are misleading
Anyone browsing the Xbox Store could reasonably assume GTA 6 has already entered early access or that reviewers received advance copies.
Neither is true.
Every review currently visible was submitted before the game's official release, meaning none of them are based on real gameplay experience. Because search engines also index storefront pages, these ratings may appear in search results and create additional confusion for prospective buyers.
What caused the glitch?
The most likely explanation is a logic error involving pre-order licensing.
When someone pre-orders a digital game, Xbox immediately grants ownership of the license. The storefront appears to have checked whether a user owned that license but failed to verify whether the game's release date had actually arrived.
In simple terms:
- User owns the license ✔
- Game has launched ✘
Because the second check appears to have been skipped, the review system became available before launch.
Microsoft has not publicly explained the issue, but the behavior is consistent with a storefront validation bug rather than intentional early access.
For a breakdown of officially confirmed GTA 6 information versus community rumors, visit our GTA6 Daily Feature Tracker.
What happens next?
Microsoft is expected to remove the invalid reviews and restore the normal review restrictions before or shortly after launch.
Until then, keep the following in mind:
- Any review dated before November 19, 2026 was submitted before the game became playable.
- The current aggregate rating should not be treated as an indicator of quality.
- No legitimate user reviews of GTA 6 exist yet.
Bottom line
The Xbox Store reviews currently appearing for GTA 6 are the result of a storefront UI glitch rather than players gaining early access.
Although more than 2,000 ratings have already been submitted, none reflect actual gameplay. Until Microsoft removes the erroneous reviews, the displayed score should be considered unreliable.
