GTA 6 will cost $80 - and physical edition will not contain a disc

Grand Theft Auto 6, the latest instalment of Rockstar Games' biggest ever franchise, will cost $79.99, with a more premium edition costing $99.99.

It is not yet known how much the game will cost in the UK - the BBC has asked Rockstar for a list of regional prices.

Rockstar said physical copies of the game will contain a code for a digital download for the game inside a box, rather than a disc.

Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said the price tag for the standard edition was "fairly reasonable" but said the lack of disc may "irk some physical collectors".

However she added the decision made sense "as it reduces the amount of rebuying and reselling and helps prevent leaks."

One of the most hotly-anticipated games of the year, GTA 6 will open for pre-orders at midnight local time on 25 June.

GTA 6 - all you need to know about Rockstar's blockbuster game

The game itself - which some analysts say could be the most expensive ever made - will be released on 19 November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

Following the reveal, some fans , external questioned the point of purchasing a physical copy, if it did not contain a disc.

Others queried , external whether they would be able to re-sell the game after, as can be done with normal physical editions with a disc, or whether the code would be shareable.

Fans seemed less concerned by the price - a $10 increase for the standard edition compared to the typical $70 price tag for similarly-sized blockbuster games.

"$10 won't be such a big hit to consumers pockets, but I still hope $80 won't become the norm," posted one , external .

When it launched in 2013, GTA 5 cost $59.99 for the standard edition.

Joost van Dreunen, a professor of games business at NYU Stern said the pricing was a "clever strategy" by Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two.

"Take-Two is catering to the largest possible audience while offering die-hards an upgraded tier," he said.

GTA 6 pre-order date and cover art revealed by Rockstar

Rockstar added that players who pre-order digital versions of the game will be able to begin pre-loading it on their consoles on November 12 to ensure they are able to play at launch.

The physical version of GTA 6 will also be available starting 12 November to support pre-loading.