GTA 5 Release Window Confirmed by Keen GAME Employee

Update: Rockstar Games has since confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V will be released in Spring 2013, verifying what we reported in the article below as accurate. The announcement comes with further details about the game's intended platforms. Read it here.

A keen employee at the Brighton branch of GAME has confirmed the Grand Theft Auto V release window by tweeting a picture of the store's pre-order promotional material, presumably delivered today. The PS3 box sleeves, which will no doubt be used to block out a whole end of aisle – if not more – in GAME stores across the UK, show three different front covers: a surly policewoman handcuffing another lady (and I don't want to make any assumptions here, but this is GTA, so go ahead and call lady number two a prostitute if you'd like), a man on a quad bike holding a gun, and the image we've already seen of two armed men in gas masks and protective suits.

This leak by the retailer confirms the outed poster from a Polish site we reported earlier. However, for now, we still can't verify if this release window is for the game's worldwide release, or just for the U.K.

I used to work in GAME and Gamestation stores, and I know that these sleeves will probably be put on display by the end of the week, next week by the very latest. But there are rules for things like sharing images of promotional materials before the date on which the publisher has authorized them for display, and – obviously mindful of that – the person behind the Twitter account has promptly removed the tweet.

Given that Game Informer's upcoming Grand Theft Auto 5 blowout is almost upon us, I expect Rockstar to give an official response to all these leaks sooner rather than later.