The GTA 6 TV ad: what Rockstar cut from the launch trailer, and why Xbox is missing
GTA 6's first US TV ad aired on NBC during the NBA's opening night. It is a cut-down launch trailer: the shower kiss and Lucia's ankle monitor are gone, a few shots run longer, and the end card shows only PlayStation.
GTA 6 is on television now. Its first US TV ad is not a new trailer: it is the October 15 launch trailer, re-cut for broadcast, with one kiss removed and the Xbox logo nowhere to be seen.
Where it aired
Confirmed, from viewers and several outlets: the ad ran on NBC on October 20, 2026, during the NBA's opening night, including the 76ers at Knicks game. Kotaku reported sightings in other opening-week games too. A shorter 60-second version is also in circulation.
Rockstar has not announced a TV campaign or commented on it. Its own trailer page still shows the online version.
What was cut
Two moments from the online launch trailer are gone:
- The shower kiss between Jason and Lucia. The first shower shot is still there; the kiss that follows is not.
- Lucia's ankle monitor, a brief shot in the online cut.
Everything that makes it a GTA trailer stayed: the guns, the robberies, the car chases.
What runs longer
To fill the gaps, a few shots were extended. From RockstarINTEL's frame-by-frame comparison:
- Raul Bautista dancing after the first shower scene.
- Jason knocking Lucia toward the floor, held a beat longer.
- Jason reaching for a knife while in a chokehold.
- Roxy from Real Dimez dancing, very slightly.
None of this is new footage. If you have watched the launch trailer, you have seen the game in the ad. You have just seen a little more Raul.
Why is Xbox missing?
The ad's closing card shows PlayStation only. So did the online launch trailer's end card. Trailer 2, in May 2025, showed both.
Confirmed: GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19. That has not changed.
Our guess: this is co-marketing. Sony has been promoting GTA 6 as playing best on PS5, and a PlayStation-only end card is how those deals usually look. Neither Rockstar nor Sony has said so. Xbox owners are not losing anything but a logo.
Why cut the kiss?
Rockstar has not said, and we are not going to pretend to know. Broadcast ads in prime time sports slots often get trimmed for content. What is worth noticing is what stayed: the violence went to air untouched. If you want a longer look at Jason and Lucia as a couple, Eve has the read.
What happens next
Our guess for the next big airing is the Miami Heat's A Night in Vice City game on November 18, on ESPN, the night before launch. The Heat's arena is already serving Burger Shot.
GTA 6 launches November 19. Pre-load opens November 12.
Quick answers
Is there a GTA 6 TV commercial?
Yes. A cut of the October 15 launch trailer aired on NBC on October 20, 2026, during the NBA opening night broadcast, including 76ers at Knicks. A shorter 60-second version is also going round.
Is the GTA 6 TV ad a new trailer?
No. It uses the launch trailer's footage, re-edited for television. Nothing in it is new to the game, only longer or shorter.
What was cut from the GTA 6 TV ad?
The kiss between Jason and Lucia in the shower and the brief shot of Lucia's ankle monitor. The guns, robberies and car chases stayed.
Is GTA 6 still coming to Xbox?
Yes. GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The TV ad's end card shows PlayStation only, as did the online launch trailer; Rockstar has not explained why.
Sources: RockstarINTEL: Extended launch trailer airing on TV · Martin Cid Magazine: GTA 6's first TV ad · Beebom: Rockstar changed the launch trailer for TV · Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto VI
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