Grand Theft Auto V due spring 2013

Update: with Rockstar confirmation and pre-order details.

Spare a thought for the poor video game store employee who'll be receiving a stern talking-to after sharing a photo of Grand Theft Auto V promo materials stating it'll launch in spring 2013, ahead of any official announcement. But Rockstar made it official today, probably getting a bit of a nudge from the leak.

Rockstar confirmed the Spring 2013 time frame for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and also announced pre-orders for the game will begin at retailers beginning on November 5.

Look, it's confirmed

The Brighton branch of UK games chain GAME shared an image of mock GTA V box art for empty pre-order copies on shelves, IGN reports. Similar promotional doodads were picked up by a Polish GTA fan forum over the weekend, but the misspoken word of a large retail chain has a lot more weight.

Rockstar has been quiet about GTA V lately, aside from a few sets of screenshots in August, but promises to reveal a lot more in next month's issue of Game Informer magazine. One suspects the release window might be among those hot scoops.