Grand Theft Auto 6 Delayed to 2026 – What is Happening?

Almost 1.5 years after no new trailer and months of “Will they, won’t they,” Rockstar Games has made it official: Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed. And no, it’s not coming a month later than expected or launching in Winter 2025. It’s now set for release on May 26th, 2026, almost a full year from now. So yes, if you’re keeping score, we really did get – among many other things – a GTA 6 delay before GTA 6.

In its statement, Rockstar said it was “very sorry that this is later than you expected” and thanked fans for their “interest and excitement.” It also reiterated its goal to “try and exceed your expectations” with every game released and that Grand Theft Auto 6 is “no exception.” “We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”

It looks forward to “sharing more information with you soon,” though “soon” could be next month or the next quarter. One would think that a new trailer would drop at Summer Game Fest or somewhere in the middle of the whole Summer of Gaming, but that seemed reasonable when it was still coming this year. The Game Awards in December looks more realistic, and even that’s not guaranteed.

Those who have followed Rockstar for a long time will attest that this is nothing new. Flashback to Grand Theft Auto 5, meant to launch in Spring 2013 but facing a delay to September that year. Red Dead Redemption 2 suffered not one but two delays, from later in 2017 to the first half of 2018 and then again to October 2018. The reasons in both cases are remarkably similar – more time for polish was required. In the case of Grand Theft Auto 6, it seemingly goes deeper.

Apparently, developers at Rockstar didn’t believe a Fall 2025 release window was possible “for a very long time,” per Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. The alleged reasoning is straightforward enough: “Too much work, not enough time.” “GTA 6 slipping to 2026 has seemed inevitable for months if not longer.” Management is also keen on avoiding “brutal crunch,” which has been the rumored goal for quite some time now, especially following the whole kerfuffle with Red Dead Redemption 2’s development.

Interestingly, in September 2024, Schreier spoke to six employees who hadn’t heard of a delay but clarified, “It’s a big, ambitious game and could very well slip! Too much time left to say anything definitive.” Game development, by its very nature, is constantly in flux and if there was no internal announcement, only the highest of the higher-ups would have been privy to such details.

Considering Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick went from reaffirming the Fall 2025 window multiple times to suddenly saying, “There’s always a risk of slippage,” the possibility for a delay likely arose around then.

There are all sorts of possibilities on what could have changed. The sheer work necessary to bug test and polish the game could take longer than expected. There may be critical issues with anything from NPC AI to performance on current-gen consoles to whatever is going on with the supposed online component that requires more time than initially estimated to deal with. It’s understandable, especially if Grand Theft Auto 6 is going even bigger with its AI interactions and realism or attempts to portray graphical fidelity close to anything seen in the first trailer at a decent frame rate.

However, those who have followed rumors around the game over the past several years or so will remember whispers of trouble. Development was allegedly restarted in early 2020, with seemingly numerous changes to the gameplay and narrative since before that. At one point in 2021, an insider noted that fans should be worried if it’s announced that year or even in early 2022 without going into too many specifics.

Stephen Totilo also reported in 2022 that plans for four protagonists and multiple cities covering North and South America were whittled down to the current Vice City setting. Regardless of all this, for a project apparently in the works since 2014, it’s easy to get antsy about potential problems, especially when a lengthy delay has been announced.

Also, remember that this is likely accounting for marketing time, just like every other game release. Internally, Rockstar could aim for a much more polished build by early 2026, after which marketing, advertising, previews, and whatnot could kick off in earnest. If it’s not reportedly on track by then, another delay, albeit shorter, wouldn’t be very surprising. At least, not any more surprising than the current delay.

Not that Take-Two would mind since Zelnick expects record net bookings in fiscal year 2027, which GTA 6’s new release date falls under. That he’s touting it as “a ground-breaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations” and that the company is “steadfast in our commitment to excellence” indicates that it’s comfortable giving Rockstar as much time as needed.

One could point to their continued losses or even their current stock falling after the delay announcement, but Grand Theft Auto 6 is probably their biggest release in the past decade and the next. You better believe it will take as much time as it needs to ensure it launches without a hitch and makes all the money.

Ironically, this delay may be a blessing in disguise for the company, especially with the new $80 price point for games sweeping the industry. Nintendo and now Microsoft have inspired incredulity by opting into these prices, and Sony will likely follow suit. By the time Rockstar’s epic launches, $80 may well be considered the new norm for such high-production triple-A releases (for better or worse).

Considering how major publishers were allegedly worried about dating their games this year due to GTA 6, you have to wonder how they feel about its new window. But that’s a question for another time.

This delay will probably hit hardest for those clawing for more details and extensive gameplay since December 2023. But look at it this way – 2025 has been absolutely packed with high-quality releases and isn’t even at the halfway point. There are still plenty of big titles to come, like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Elden Ring Nightreign Ghost of Yotei, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Mafia: The Old Country, Ninja Gaiden 4 and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

That’s not even considering all the announcements coming in June when the usual showcases roll out. If nothing else, revisit Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5. Either way, there’s enough to keep you busy until 2026 and the inevitable hype cycle that GTA 6’s release will bring.