Rockstar pushed GTA VI's first update, version 1.002, six days before launch. It's about 1 GB, it's required, and nobody outside Rockstar knows what's in it. Plus, YouTube is running a 24-hour launch stream starting the night of November 18.
Grand Theft Auto VI isn’t out until November 19, and it already has its first patch. Rockstar released update 1.002 on Friday, November 13, and it’s marked mandatory, so everyone who wants to play on launch night has to install it first. ComicBook reports the update is live on Xbox Series X, and it’s small, about 1 GB.
If you pre-installed the game on your Xbox Series X|S, this is the easy part. You already pulled down the massive base install. A 1 GB top-up six days early is exactly how a launch like this should work, and it’s a whole lot better than millions of people slamming the servers for a surprise patch at midnight.
What’s in update 1.002?
That’s the mystery. Rockstar hasn’t posted patch notes, and it hasn’t said why the update is required. Data from the files themselves, shared by iGrandTheftAuto and relayed by ComicBook, shows the biggest changes hit two files called “story000-[GameContent]” (15.75 MiB) and “Levels[Americas]-0” (35.75 MiB). The audio, movie and texture databases didn’t change size.
So this isn’t a new coat of paint. Our read is that a patch touching story and level data this close to launch looks like Rockstar locking in final fixes on content, not adding features. That’s an educated guess from the file list, not something Rockstar has confirmed. Either way, nobody’s missing anything yet, because the game stays locked until midnight local time on November 19.
The rollout is also staged. A widely followed update tracker on X says the patch is reaching “the first 50% (Users)” now, with the rest getting it about 11 hours later. Rockstar hasn’t explained the staging, but spreading out downloads for the most pre-ordered game in Microsoft Store history is the obvious play.
How to grab it on Xbox
If your console is set to keep games updated, it should download on its own. If you want to make sure:
- Highlight Grand Theft Auto VI in My games & apps.
- Press the Menu button and pick Manage game and add-ons.
- Open Updates and install anything waiting there.
If nothing shows up yet, you may be in the second wave. Check back later in the day.
Playing on Xbox One through the cloud? You’re off the hook. Xbox Cloud Gaming runs the game on Microsoft’s servers, so there’s nothing for you to install. Per Xbox Wire, cloud streaming for GTA VI starts at 1 AM ET on November 19 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, using Xbox Series S graphics settings, and you still need to own the game. That cloud option is the first piece of the 10-year Xbox and Take-Two partnership Xbox announced this week.
Rockstar’s one-week message
Rockstar marked the one-week countdown on Thursday with a thank-you to fans. “There’s still time to pre-order and pre-load so you’re ready on launch day,” the studio posted, adding that “code-in-box versions are also available now for pick-up at retailers worldwide.” That’s the boxed edition with a download code inside instead of a disc. “See you in Leonida next week!” Rockstar added in a follow-up.
If you still haven’t pre-installed, do it this weekend. The base game is a monster download, and as we saw when the preload jammed UK broadband networks, waiting until launch night is how you end up watching a progress bar while everyone else is in Vice City.
GTA 6 unlocks at midnight on November 19. What's your plan?
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YouTube is going 24 hours for launch
If you can’t play right at midnight, YouTube has you covered. The company announced a 24-hour GTA VI launch stream in partnership with Rockstar. A pre-show hosted by RDCWorld starts at 11 PM ET on November 18, then the main stream kicks off at 12 AM ET on November 19 at youtube.com/youtube, with live gameplay, creator podcasts and original content from creators including Caylus, Zhong and Kat, Jelly, Rivers, Jake Baldino and Cinna. It wraps with on-the-ground coverage from Miami.
YouTube is also adding five limited-edition GTA VI gifts to YouTube Live, a “Visit Vice City” Shorts effect, and the official GTA VI soundtrack, featuring Morgan Wallen’s “Last Thing You Need,” on the YouTube Music homepage during launch week. The numbers YouTube dropped show how big this thing is: the series has passed 900 billion views on the platform, and pre-launch GTA VI videos alone have topped 40 billion.
Here’s the bottom line for Xbox players. Your copy is installed, the first patch is small, and on Xbox One you can stream it day one through the cloud. Grab the update, clear your schedule for the 19th, and we’ll see you in Leonida.
Image: Rockstar Games / Xbox
Sources
- ComicBook: GTA 6 First Update Released Ahead of Launch
- X: Update tracker on the staged 1.002 rollout
- Vice: GTA 6 Day One Patch Is Already Rolling Out
- TwistedVoxel: GTA VI Day-One Update 01.002.000 Begins Rolling Out
- X: Rockstar Games: GTA VI is one week away
- Xbox Wire: Grand Theft Auto VI Comes to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Through Xbox Cloud Gaming on November 19
- YouTube Blog: YouTube celebrates the launch and cultural impact of Grand Theft Auto VI
