A poor copy leaked the day before the planned premiere. Rockstar put the official trailer online in response. The film showed Vice City, the two leads, the consoles, and a 2025 release window. Tom Petty's Love Is a Long Road carried the footage. Within two days the counter passed 100 million views.
The trailer confirmed PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC version. It set records quickly: coverage at the time called it the biggest YouTube debut ever for a non-music video, and in November 2025 it was reported as the most-viewed trailer of all time.
The New York Times wrote about the song choice under the headline that Rockstar turned to Tom Petty for Florida vibes.