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It’s 2026: Will Grand Theft Auto 6 Stay On Schedule And Release This Year?

January 2, 2026 by Ryan Parreno

Rockstar delivering on expectations is actually priority over releasing the game earlier.

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • How Soon Is Now?
  • What About The Game Industry?
  • Rockstar’s Ultimate Dilemma

It’s now 2026, and fans are asking: are we really getting Grand Theft Auto 6 this year?

It’s been about two months since Rockstar announced the game would be released on November 19, 2026. Since that time, the fans have taken to doomerism and lamentation, but it’s clear that they will wait it out for the game to come out.

Videotechuk shared everyone’s sentiments at the start of the year:

Grand Theft Auto VI is currently set to release this year. Let’s hope everything stays on track and no more delays happen.

GameRoll then started the ball rolling to restart the discourse on the delay yet again. He posted this on Twitter:

I don’t think that GTA 6 will be delayed to 2027, but of course it’s certainly possible.

For now… if we get to the May earnings call and it’s still slated for November then it’s almost certainly locked in. I imagine that’ll be the month that pre-orders will open alongside Trailer 3 OR if it does get delayed, it’ll be announced then, just like last year.

I have faith in Rockstar that two delays and an entire year of nothing but polish will be enough. Though I don’t blame anybody for being pessimistic at this point, I encourage you to have faith. This could very well be our year.

How Soon Is Now?

The Ghost of Hope responded to GameRoll with everyone’s frustration:

At what point are we as consumers allowed to be pissed about these delays? I feel like this past delay to November 2026 is the last acceptable one to me at least.

GameRoll then replied with what some people may not want to admit is true:

Given that it’s Rockstar, honestly never in my opinion.

I understand it’s disappointing not to be playing it sooner, but it’s getting delayed for a reason. I’d rather wait a bit longer and recieve a product that’s polished and worthy of the hype than one that’s rushed and needed more time in the oven.

It’s also not like pre-orders are open yet. I’d understand getting annoyed if people had pledged money to the game and were still waiting but in reality we’re just mad about having to wait longer and that’s it.

Even if it gets delayed again, it’s for a good reason.

What About The Game Industry?

The Ghost Of Hope then followed up with everyone’s concerns over Grand Theft Auto 6:

Pre orders not being out yet is a fair point but idk man I feel like delaying AGAIN when it’s been said by insiders that the game is all polish for a year or two now is ridiculous. The games industry is pretty much reacting to GTA 6 and it just hurts the industry overall with the way games move forward or backward based on it.

And this may not entirely be Rockstar’s fault. It was industry analysts who spread the word on Grand Theft Auto 6 being the biggest game launch in the industry’s history. And news outlets, such as ourselves, helped propagate that message.

Fans clung to that idea as part of the proverbial hype train, but the flip side to that should be obvious now. Rockstar is now pressured to deliver above expectations, and that may have forced them to delay to make sure it will.

GameRoll spoke to this issue in his response to The Ghost of Hope:

I agree that it’s a negative for the industry but at the same time great games is what keeps gamers even interested to begin with.

If GTA 6 had released this May and it was a let down, bugs everywhere, poor performance etc then all that would’ve done is turn people off ever getting extremely excited for a new game ever again. A delay completely mitigates that scenario, and when it does launch and it’s incredible it will just prove that the wait was worth it.

Basically, I don’t mind waiting because it’s Rockstar and I know that the only reason it’s getting delayed is so it can be absolutely perfect. I don’t want to spend my money on an inferior product than it could’ve been if it was given few extra months yk

Rockstar’s Ultimate Dilemma

Ultimately, of course, Rockstar has to earn our $ 60 for their next Grand Theft Auto. And if they’re charging even more than that, they have to deliver a product that justifies that price too.

And so the pressure is on, not just to deliver a great game, but as a product, to guarantee that the game launches without the bugs and issues that require Day One patches. Hopefully, there will be able to pin all these goals down in the timetable that they have laid down for themselves and the public.

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