Rockstar has officially revealed that GTA 6 will be launching on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19, with no PC version announced yet. However, the Steam storefront has an interesting trick up its sleeve that will allow PC gamers to feel just a little bit better about being left out of the launch window.
What the Hell Is Phantom Vice Auto?
Phantom Vice Auto is a Steam game, categorized under Adventure, Racing, and Early Access, developed by a company named BRGames Interactive. The game's tentative release date is set to be on November 19, 2026. The description for this game is almost identical to what one would expect to see from a GTA 6 listing.
"Experience entertainment blockbusters Phantom Vice Auto and Phantom Vice Auto Online — now upgraded for a new generation with stunning visuals, faster loading, 3D audio, and more. Welcome to Phantom City. In a neon-drenched metropolis ruled by corruption, betrayal, and underground power struggles, three unlikely anti-heroes are thrown together in a brutal battle for survival."
PC Gamer's Christopher Livingston summed it up perfectly: "The trailer shows off (for the most part) completely unpeopled streets for driving around, a nice radial gun menu for the combat which is obviously going to get modders everywhere banned by Take-Two, the word 'Wasted' on-screen when you die, and a short segment showing off palm trees and a beach, which is surely stand-in for Miami."
Is It Legal?
It might be — for how long it lasts. The Take-Two legal team is known to pull every string it can find in order to take down anything that crosses the line with their intellectual property. The description for this game is almost identical to what GTA 5 and GTA Online's description used to be on Steam, minus the obvious differences.
Why This Story Matters (or Doesn't)
Phantom Vice Auto is an ironic joke that somehow managed to turn into a story for PC gamers who wanted to play GTA 6 on launch, but couldn't. However, this situation demonstrates the reality of GTA 6 not having an announced PC release date at all. Rockstar is notorious for waiting roughly a year and a half to two years before releasing their games on PC after their console launch, and if Phantom Vice Auto somehow manages to release and make any profit before Take-Two finally kills it, that would be nothing short of a miracle.
It's a laughable situation that can serve as some comfort for those who are still fuming about the lack of PC support from Rockstar. However, it also serves to remind those very same PC gamers that there isn't really anything else they can do besides wait.
The things that matter most are whether Take-Two will take action against Phantom Vice Auto and whether Rockstar will announce a PC launch date for GTA 6, rendering Phantom Vice Auto moot before its planned launch date later this year.