Rockstar will publish the Leonida map and the game's official cover illustration as free digital downloads on the GTA 6 website starting 19 November, the day the game launches, according to Libertad Digital. Players will be able to pull the files from the game's page and print them at home if they want a paper copy, with no purchase of the game required. A two-sided physical poster will follow on the Rockstar Store shortly after release, priced at $0.99, the outlet reports.
Why it matters
Printed maps have accompanied Grand Theft Auto releases since the fold-out posters packed with GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas, and later the double-sided designs in GTA IV and GTA V. Libertad Digital notes that GTA 6 largely preserves that tradition, but splits it in two: the map is free in digital form, while the paper version is now a separate item rather than something found inside the box.
The change fits the shape of the release itself. According to Libertad Digital, the edition sent to retailers, Amazon among them, will carry a download code for the game instead of a disc. With no physical disc in the case, the map and cover art move out of the packaging and onto the website and the merchandise store.
What the poster includes and how to get it
The physical item is a double-sided poster, with the official GTA 6 artwork on one face and the Leonida map on the other, per Libertad Digital. The outlet reports that the $0.99 price is the only detail confirmed so far, and that the poster will also be given away with any purchase made through the official store. A precise on-sale date has not been announced.
For the free version, Libertad Digital says access begins on 19 November through the game's official page, where Rockstar will post the downloadable files. The outlet notes that printing them is optional and that owning the game is not a condition.
Preloads, file size and the rest of the launch lineup
The map is one piece of a wider rollout around the release. According to PlayStation, preloads for Grand Theft Auto VI begin on 10 November. Eurogamer.es also reports the preload start date and urges players to clear storage space ahead of it, while Xataka reports the game will take up as much as 212 GB, a figure it describes as a significant problem for some consoles.
Beyond the map, Libertad Digital reports that Rockstar put an official range of T-shirts, caps, tote bags, keychains, lighters and stickers on sale in October. The company also presented "The Goodtime State - Vice City Collection," a collector's box that includes a Macca the alligator figure, a pair of Oakley sunglasses and a souvenir poster, among other items, the outlet reports.
Music from the game is getting a physical release as well. Libertad Digital reports that "Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album," a 34-track collection, arrives on CD and vinyl on 19 November, and that a second album built around the original score by the French duo Justice will follow on 11 December, also with physical editions.
Watch for Rockstar to confirm the exact date the Leonida poster goes on sale through its store, and for the preload window to open on 10 November.
