GTA 6 collector's box costs $400 and does not include the game

Rockstar Games' collector's box for Grand Theft Auto VI costs $400 and does not include the game. Buyers get 11 pieces of merchandise instead, among them a figure, a pair of sunglasses and a New Era hat. According to IGN, fans are angry about the set and are comparing it to Red Dead Redemption 2's collector's edition.

What we know

IGN and Video Games Chronicle list the price at $400. German outlet ComputerBase reports 400 euros and states in its headline that the game is not part of the package.

The box contains 11 items. Video Games Chronicle names a figure, sunglasses and a hat made by New Era.

Eurogamer points to three more items in the set: a mirror, a keychain and a spoon.

That puts six of the 11 items on record:

• Figure
• Sunglasses
• New Era hat
• Mirror
• Keychain
• Spoon

Anyone who wants to play Grand Theft Auto VI has to buy the game on top. The box is collectibles only.

Why it matters

The backlash IGN describes rests on one comparison. Red Dead Redemption 2's collector's edition still shipped with the game, so buyers paid once for the extras and the game together. With Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar splits the two. The $400 covers physical goods and nothing else.

That changes who the box is for. A traditional collector's edition targets players who already plan to buy the game and pay extra for bonus items. A merch box without the game only works for people who value the objects themselves. The price has to stand on the figure, the hat, the sunglasses and the rest.

Eurogamer's focus on the mirror, keychain and spoon shows that the item choices are drawing attention alongside the price. For buyers, the math is simple. If you want the box and the game, you pay twice.

What is still unclear

The reports do not itemize five of the 11 pieces. They also leave open when and where the box goes on sale, and whether Rockstar has responded to the criticism.