Former Rockstar Dev Hints at Potential GTA 6 Delay

Have you ever wondered why Rockstar Games only delays their games close to their original release date? This happened with Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and even Grand Theft Auto 4, so it's an interesting pattern that apparently has a good reason behind it.

In celebration of the 17th anniversary of GTA 4, former Rockstar North technical lead Obbe Vermeij revealed that they didn't know GTA 4 was going to be delayed from its original October 16, 2007 release date until July of the same year, which is three months before the game was supposed to be available.

As per Vermeij's explanation, it wasn't really clear until July that the studio would miss the deadline. He added that "decision-day" for Grand Theft Auto 6 could follow a similar timeline, hoping that the August 2025 Take-Two Interactive Earnings call will provide more clarity.

Although Vermeij clarified that he has no inside information, he did work on Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and GTA 4, leaving Rockstar shortly after the release of the 2008 title. So if nothing else, his words carry a certain amount of weight.

Interestingly, in a separate interview, Vermeij revealed that he doesn't expect Rockstar to release a second GTA 6 trailer until much later this year.

Ever since the release of the first GTA 6 trailer and the reveal of its official release date, the hype of the upcoming sixthquel has been unmatched. It's come to the point that Take-Two's stock prices have surged at least twice over the past six months, setting a new record heading into the company's May 15 earnings call.

Delaying GTA 6, while not impossible, could potentially mess with the entire gaming industry. Insiders and executives are already clearing the path for GTA 6, avoiding its release window as much as possible. Although some are bullish that it will have a positive effect on the entire gaming industry, the fact remains that the gravity surrounding GTA 6 will suck up every morsel of attention gamers around the world have to offer.

It's for this reason that it's interesting that Sony, which Rockstar and Take-Two reportedly has a marketing deal with, is releasing Ghost of Yotei on October 2.

So far, Ghost of Yotei is the only notable AAA release confirmed for Fall 2025. It's telling of Sony's confidence that Ghost of Yotei will put up massive sales numbers no matter what happens.

Is this a sign that Sony is expecting a GTA 6 delay or does Sony believe that Ghost of Yotei will have enough breathing room ahead of GTA 6's potential release sometime in late October or November?

At this point, Vermeij is correct and only Rockstar knows what their plans are.

Speaking of GTA 4, we're still waiting on Rockstar to remaster the game after releasing Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition and Red Dead Redemption Remaster .

With The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion selling well despite the pseudo-shadow drop, maybe Rockstar will consider giving cousin Niko and Liberty City the modern-day refresh that it deserves.