Rockstar Games has officially announced Grand Theft Auto 6’s release date. Unfortunately, that’s also bad news.
They shared this message on their website:
“Hi everyone,
Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026.
We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game.
With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.
We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
Sincerely,
Rockstar Games”
When Rockstar released their big Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer in December 2023, they gave a release year of 2025, later clarified to Fall 2025. For the last two years, Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games have insisted that the game was still slated to release in Fall 2025, right until last February. In an interview, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick conceded on the record that a delay could be possible.
While there were always rumors about Grand Theft Auto 6 being delayed, that was partly driven because Rockstar was not actually working on the game for the better part of a decade. There is a credible trail of rumors of Grand Theft Auto 6 delays that we would trace from the 2023 trailer.
All the way back in September 2024, GTA Base Staff writer Liam, AKA billsyliamgta, claimed that the game was internally delayed already for mid-2026. He also said at the time that the PC port was already scheduled to come 12 to 18 months after the console launch. At the time, Liam received intense harassment, especially since other leakers and journalists would not back up his claim. While that original tweet was removed, Liam is now taking the opportunity to say his I told you sos.
In December of that year, RockstarIntel also claimed that there was a delay. This time, they pointed out that the title actually missed several internal deadlines.
For their part, the last time Take-Two or Rockstar Games commented on Grand Theft Auto 6’s release was in the end of March. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick was once again on hand to state that they wouldn’t be releasing any marketing until the game was close to its release window.
With Grand Theft Auto 6 no longer being a part of 2025, the field is open for other games that would have otherwise been delayed because of it. Subsequently, it may be that the Switch 2 and its launch titles will be the biggest products to come out this year.
2025 will also be particularly huge for Microsoft, who have already released a lot of titles, dominating both their Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation stores. As good as Ghost of Yōtei and Marathon may turn out, Sony may end up being a smaller presence this year than their peers and the many third party companies out there.
Take-Two Interactive will also be fine, with their annual 2K Sports games and Borderlands 4 occupying this year for them. It’s certainly interesting that it took the middle of the year to discover that 2025’s lineup already changed so drastically for the industry.
